Born a Crime: Stories From a South African Childhood by Trevor NoahMy rating: 5 of 5 stars
"Mother and son, laughing together through the pain... on a bright and sunny and beautiful day."
I'd heard that this book is now required reading for some high schools, and so I was intrigued enough to get a copy.
My God. It truly IS required reading! Not just for students, but for everyone! And you don't even have to be a Trevor Noah fan to appreciate this miraculous, heartbreaking book about a half white, half black child growing up in Johannesburg during apartheid.
It's like life, with all the funny parts and all the sad parts, with an incredibly gifted narrator.
There was this unusually dark sentence early on in the book, which I thought odd for him to say, and I thought to myself: "Nah, surely THAT didn't happen, it's too awful to be real!"
But as it turns out, the unthinkable DOES happen. And when it does... the reader is left stunned, and weeping, and grateful to be alive.
I'd always liked Trevor Noah before reading this book, I thought he was a cut above the other talk show hosts in terms of intelligence and empathy. But now, after reading about his background, my respect for the man knows no bounds! Because he was born to a single mom, Trevor grew up extremely poor, to the point that his family was eating CATERPILLARS. Because of the lawlessness in their surroundings, he was drawn to criminality out of desperation. And the reason he is the man is now, is because of his amazing mom.
This book is a tribute to her, and to all women who dare to defy patriarchy, who teach their sons to be better men than their fathers. It also ends with a miracle, and will make you believe in miracles, despite being non-religious.
Reginians, when the library re-opens again, this is one book you should immediately borrow!
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