Born a Crime

Born a Crime: Stories from a South African Childhood
Author Trevor Noah
Language English
Genre Autobiography
Publisher Spiegel & Grau
Publication date
 November 15, 2016
Media type Print (Hardback)
Pages 304
ISBN 978-0-399-58817-4

Born a Crime: Stories from a South African Childhood is an autobiographical comedy book written by the South African comedian Trevor Noah.

Reception

Published in November 2016, Born a Crime[1] was received favorably by major U.S. book reviewers.[2][3][4][5] It became a #1 New York Times Bestseller and was named one of the best books of the year by The New York Times, Newsday, Esquire, NPR, and Booklist.[5] In early 2017, its title was used as a clue in the New York Times Crossword Puzzle.[6]


The book details Noah's growing up in post-apartheid South Africa. As the light-skinned product of a white father and black mother, he never fit well into the racial schemes introduced after apartheid. Even under apartheid there was trouble fitting in, because it was a crime for him to be born as a mixed race baby (hence the title of the book).[3]

In large part, the book is a paean to Noah's mother, Patricia Nombuyiselo, who grew up in a hut with 14 occupants. She was a fiercely religious woman who took her son to three churches every Sunday, a prayer meeting on Tuesday, Bible study on Wednesday and youth church on Thursday, even when the Africans were rioting in the streets and most people were cowering in their homes.[2]

The book opens with young Noah being thrown out of a minibus by his mother, because she thought the driver, from another tribe, was trying to kill them. Later in life young Noah is caught stealing a car, and his mother lays down the law about crime and punishment. She was an important figure in his becoming a man, but she had many problems of her own: years after the minibus incident, Noah's stepfather shot her in the head while she was returning from church with her family. Young Noah developed a social and mental agility that helped him during these times of trial, whether he was talking in their own language with different tribes, or risking arrest and violence by selling illegal bootleg CDs in dangerous neighborhoods. Through it all, his mother administered tough love and "old-school, Old Testament discipline."[4]

Film adaptation

The memoir will be adapted into a film starring Lupita Nyong'o as Patricia, Noah's mother. Nyong'o will also produce the film with Noah through his production company, Ark Angel Productions.[7] In March 2018, Liesl Tommy is set to direct the film.[8] The film will be produced by Paramount Players.

References

  1. ↑ Noah, Trevor (15 November 2016). Born a Crime: Stories from a South African Childhood. New York: Spiegel & Grau. ISBN 978-0399588174.
  2. 1 2 Kakutani, Michiko (2016-11-28). "'Born a Crime,' Trevor Noah's Raw Account of Life Under Apartheid". The New York Times. Retrieved 2017-03-18.
  3. 1 2 Darden, Jeneé (2017-02-18). "Born a Crime: A Memoir of Love, Hope, and Resistance". Los Angeles Review of Books. Los Angeles Review of Books. Retrieved 2017-03-18.
  4. 1 2 Seymour, Gene (2016-11-14). "Trevor Noah recalls childhood under apartheid in new memoir". USAToday. Gannett Company. Retrieved 2017-03-18.
  5. 1 2 "Born a Crime by Trevor Noah". Penguin Random House website. Penguin Random House. Retrieved 2017-03-18.
  6. ↑ Mahowald, Kyle (2017-02-10). "New York Times Crossword Solution 0210-17". nytcrossword.com website. New York Times. Retrieved 2017-03-18.
  7. ↑ http://deadline.com/2018/02/lupita-nyongo-born-a-crime-trevor-noah-book-1202298166/
  8. ↑ Clement, Olivia (27 March 2018). "Tony Nominee Liesl Tommy to Direct Trevor Noah Biopic Starring Lupita Nyong'o". playbill.com. Retrieved 29 April 2018.
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