Born a Crime: Stories From a South African ChildhoodBorn a Crime: Stories From a South African Childhood
Score Modern
What it's about
Trevor Noah was born in apartheid South Africa to a Black Xhosa mother and a white Swiss father, at a time when their relationship was a crime, so for years he couldn't be seen in public with his father, or sometimes even his mother. These are the stories of growing up in Soweto as a boy who didn't fit any category: hustling pirated CDs, getting into trouble, surviving poverty and violence, and above all being raised by a fearless, devout, wildly stubborn mother.
Why it's worth reading
It's laugh-out-loud funny and genuinely moving, often on the same page, and it explains apartheid more vividly than any history book. At its heart it's a love letter to his mother, one of the great characters in modern memoir.
You'll love it if you liked
Educated: A Memoir
The Glass Castle
I'm Glad My Mom DiedGood to know
It includes domestic violence late in the book. The audiobook, read by Noah himself with all the accents and languages, is often called the best way to experience it.
By the numbers
- Readers99 out of 100 · counts 42%
- Critics0 out of 100 · counts 14%
- Bestseller79 out of 100 · counts 34% (its stronger lane)
- Buzz53 out of 100 · counts 10%
Critics and Bestseller are two ways to earn a place: a book's stronger one counts more. Buzz rewards recent bestseller weeks and prizes, so older books start at zero. The parts combine into the Must-Read Score, shown on a scale where the best book we found scores 99 and the last book to make the ranking scores 50.
Where it ranks
- #11 of the 290 memoirs and biographies we rank
- #27 of the 1,573 modern books we rank
- #54 of the 2,816 books we rank
Why it made the list
Reads as
True story, Funny, Uplifting
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Quick answers
Is Born a Crime: Stories From a South African Childhood worth reading?
Yes. It's laugh-out-loud funny and genuinely moving, often on the same page, and it explains apartheid more vividly than any history book. It ranks #54 of the 2,816 books in our ranking, with a Must-Read Score of 88.9 (the best book we found scores 99).
What is Born a Crime: Stories From a South African Childhood about?
Trevor Noah was born in apartheid South Africa to a Black Xhosa mother and a white Swiss father, at a time when their relationship was a crime, so for years he couldn't be seen in public with his father, or sometimes even his mother. These are the stories of growing up in Soweto as a boy who didn't fit any category: hustling pirated CDs, getting into trouble, surviving poverty and violence, and above all being raised by a fearless, devout, wildly stubborn mother.
How long does it take to read Born a Crime: Stories From a South African Childhood?
About 7 hours (288 pages), or about 2 weeks at 30 minutes a day.
What should I read after Born a Crime: Stories From a South African Childhood?
If you liked it, try Educated: A Memoir by Tara Westover, The Glass Castle by Jeannette Walls or I'm Glad My Mom Died by Jennette McCurdy.