From Crime to Comedian: The Story of Trevor Noah
Thara Belony
Born A Crime
By Trevor Noah
Imagine what your life would be like if your very existence was a crime, illegal, unconscionable.
In the year of 1948, a set of laws were put in place in the country of South Africa. This series of unfair laws would play a large part in the life of all people living there. Blacks were the victims of these laws. They were forced to work without pay. They lived in extremely poor areas. They were oppressed and never thought of being able to leave their country or of one day living a better life. Apartheid was the name given to these laws that hurt people much more than they helped them. Apartheid was what Trevor Noah called, “...perfect racism”(19). It was a system built specifically to oppress blacks and keep them from ever achieving greatness. Noah’s very existence went against everything that apartheid meant and stood for. His mother was a black woman of the Xhosa tribe, and his father was a Swiss German. Due to this, apartheid and its effects were a constant part of Noah’s life. Despite having many obstacles set up against him from birth, Trevor Noah’s unlikely path to success is one that will surely touch you. His resistance to conform to the norms of blacks at that time and place is truly commendable. Noah’s roller coaster of life from birth to manhood is one that draws many laughs, joys, and sometimes heartache.
This is one of my top five favorite books. I learned so much from this book. Noah never ceased to amaze and make me laugh. I was gripping on the edge of every word that I read. Noah had a way of making light of sad and depressing situations while still allowing us as readers to get the strong message that he was trying to pass. At one point things got so bad, Noah and his family were living in the family business at the time: a car shop. Such a traumatic experience would negatively affect anyone. Homelessness is not an easy thing to go through as an adult never mind a child in primary school. His family also couldn’t afford to buy actual food. He tells us that they “... were so broke that for weeks we ate nothing but bowls of marogo, a kind of wild spinach, cooked with caterpillars”(260). Not only that, but there was nowhere to sleep so Noah had to sleep in cars. He would find a car that had the most comfortable seats, wrap himself up with his school blazer and go to sleep. The best cars to sleep in “... were American cars. I used to pray for a customer to come in with a big Buick with bench seats. If I saw one of those, I’d be like, Yes!”(259). Noah never dwelled upon these experiences in a negative way, so when he talks about them he is able to explain them to us in the most positive light possible. He teaches us through his experiences how to stay positive while going through something that isn’t. Through reading this autobiography, we come to find that Noah's strength, passion, and drive originates from his truly remarkable mother, Patricia Nombuyiselo Noah. There were many opportunities along the way that would give Ms. Noah a multitude of reasons to give up, but she never did. Noah’s mother reminded me of my own mother. They are both single mothers, and their love for God is above all else. They also care for their family very much.
I would recommend this book to young adults and adults because it has some strong language in it. The level of maturity needed to read this book is also a reason why I would not particularly recommend this book to younger children. Those who enjoy comedy and also a bit of history will absolutely love this book. Noah teaches you about important issues in a way that makes you interested enough to want to learn more.
Born A Crime
By Trevor Noah
Imagine what your life would be like if your very existence was a crime, illegal, unconscionable.
In the year of 1948, a set of laws were put in place in the country of South Africa. This series of unfair laws would play a large part in the life of all people living there. Blacks were the victims of these laws. They were forced to work without pay. They lived in extremely poor areas. They were oppressed and never thought of being able to leave their country or of one day living a better life. Apartheid was the name given to these laws that hurt people much more than they helped them. Apartheid was what Trevor Noah called, “...perfect racism”(19). It was a system built specifically to oppress blacks and keep them from ever achieving greatness. Noah’s very existence went against everything that apartheid meant and stood for. His mother was a black woman of the Xhosa tribe, and his father was a Swiss German. Due to this, apartheid and its effects were a constant part of Noah’s life. Despite having many obstacles set up against him from birth, Trevor Noah’s unlikely path to success is one that will surely touch you. His resistance to conform to the norms of blacks at that time and place is truly commendable. Noah’s roller coaster of life from birth to manhood is one that draws many laughs, joys, and sometimes heartache.
This is one of my top five favorite books. I learned so much from this book. Noah never ceased to amaze and make me laugh. I was gripping on the edge of every word that I read. Noah had a way of making light of sad and depressing situations while still allowing us as readers to get the strong message that he was trying to pass. At one point things got so bad, Noah and his family were living in the family business at the time: a car shop. Such a traumatic experience would negatively affect anyone. Homelessness is not an easy thing to go through as an adult never mind a child in primary school. His family also couldn’t afford to buy actual food. He tells us that they “... were so broke that for weeks we ate nothing but bowls of marogo, a kind of wild spinach, cooked with caterpillars”(260). Not only that, but there was nowhere to sleep so Noah had to sleep in cars. He would find a car that had the most comfortable seats, wrap himself up with his school blazer and go to sleep. The best cars to sleep in “... were American cars. I used to pray for a customer to come in with a big Buick with bench seats. If I saw one of those, I’d be like, Yes!”(259). Noah never dwelled upon these experiences in a negative way, so when he talks about them he is able to explain them to us in the most positive light possible. He teaches us through his experiences how to stay positive while going through something that isn’t. Through reading this autobiography, we come to find that Noah's strength, passion, and drive originates from his truly remarkable mother, Patricia Nombuyiselo Noah. There were many opportunities along the way that would give Ms. Noah a multitude of reasons to give up, but she never did. Noah’s mother reminded me of my own mother. They are both single mothers, and their love for God is above all else. They also care for their family very much.
I would recommend this book to young adults and adults because it has some strong language in it. The level of maturity needed to read this book is also a reason why I would not particularly recommend this book to younger children. Those who enjoy comedy and also a bit of history will absolutely love this book. Noah teaches you about important issues in a way that makes you interested enough to want to learn more.
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