About the book

Born a Crime: Stories from a South African Childhood.

by Trevor Noah

Born a Crime: Stories from a South African Childhood by Trevor Noah is a memoir about growing up in South Africa during and after apartheid, when his birth to a Black Xhosa mother and white Swiss father was literally illegal. Through stories that are often funny, sharp, and deeply personal, Noah recounts his childhood, his complicated relationship with race and identity, the poverty and violence he witnessed, and the extraordinary influence of his fiercely independent mother. The book explores family, resilience, faith, language, belonging, and the absurdities of a system designed to divide people.