Born a Crime by Trevor Noah - Review by Lorna

Born a Crime conjures up an Edwardian/Victorian time when a child born out of wedlock was vilified. In this context it’s a child born of dual heritage (black&white parents) in apartheid South Africa. The only thing I knew of apartheid are boycotts, songs of freedom and the release of political prisoners, the most famous of them all Nelson Mandela. The book gave an insight into the brutal reality of that regime. How black people navigated the system and how people strived to survive. There are undoubtedly moments of humour throughout the book and the unwavering faith and love of a mother shines through.  One cannot deny the love Patricia has for her children and her children for her.   Domestic violence is ugly, no matter where in the world it takes place. The book dealt with identity and how someone is perceived, poverty,  racism, the operation of a police state.  It was not only about Trevor trying to navigate his way in that apartheid world, but an account of history. I enjoyed the book and hope my fellow Bookclub members did so too.

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  • A thoroughly enjoyable and informative read with plenty of laugh-out-loud moments and also many poignant episodes. Those of you familiar with Trevor’s stand up routine will definitely hear his voice in the text and you will be familiar with some of the stories. This, however, does not take away from the love-ability of the book but rather endears it more to you. We can draw inspiration from Mr Noah’s ability to navigate some of life’s deepest discords with humour and adaptability. Even moreso do we applaud his indominatable, power-house of a mother. A great read with not much not to like!

    Valentina

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