I have been a fan of ‘The Daily Show’ and Trevor Noah for a very long time, so I had heard some snippets of his childhood before reading/listening to his memoir. And yet, I was still amazed by ‘Born a Crime: Stories From a South African Childhood’.
In his memoir, Trevor Noah does a splendid job at narrating the many challenges he and his family faced when he was born to white and black parents under apartheid laws in South Africa. Despite the dark topics discussed in the memoir (segregation, racism, poverty, domestic violence, etc.), I found it incredibly engaging, well-paced and, even funny. Trevor Noah’s heartfelt and sincere narration made his memoir an incredible and touching experience. Yes, there are some incredibly sad and horrible tragedies in this book. Yet, Noah’s narration focused more on acceptance of the harsh tragedies in his past, gratefulness for what he has in the present and hope for what is yet to come.
I went into this book with very high expectations, which were not only met but surpassed. Like I said, I’ve enjoyed Trevor’s work for a long time, so I had high hopes for listening to his memoir’s narration. What I didn’t expect was to fall in love with his mom. Trevor Noah’s mom is a hero who I learned to admire throughout this audiobook experience. Is she perfect? No. Is she still an incredible example for women everywhere? Yes. Who we have as a parent can greatly impact who we become as a person, and there’s no doubt in my mind that Trevor Noah would not be who he is today without Patricia Noah. The woman is a fearless survivor. I was speechless by how she managed to become even stronger after each tragedy that befell her. She definitively stole the book in my opinion, and you bet I would buy her memoir in a second should she ever write one.
Overall, I believe this is an amazing book to learn more about the challenges that many have faced and continue living in our world. It was an incredible eye opening, heartfelt and enjoyable memoir. And the audiobook by Noah was also top tier. I definitively recommend it.
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