By Natasha Muhametzyanova, Contributing Writer
During past few years you probably heard a lot about Trevor Noah. A comedian and TV persona, Noah performs his stand up comedy across U.S. and has been the host of The Daily Show on Comedy Central since September 2015. This November Noah spoke to a new audience — nonfiction readers.
Noah’s book “Born a Crime: Stories From a South African Childhood” was released on Nov. 15 and became an instant success. Countless publications featured the book since its release, including The New York Times, The Guardian and The Toronto Star.
After such an extensive coverage in media, it is easy to be skeptical about the book. After all, Noah is one of the most famous faces of TV comedy today. His book would sell well no matter what it seems.
Those afraid of joining the bandwagon could not be more wrong this time. “Born a Crime” is everything a reader could expect from a well-written memoir. In this holiday season, this book is a must-read that will help you start the year of 2017 anew.
The memoir tells the story of Noah forming his personality in the midst of apartheid (a policy or system of segregation/discrimination based on race) in South Africa and growing up in chaos that followed after the fall of said apartheid.
Noah talks about his pious yet defiant mother, his father he lost touch with and his abusive stepfather. The memoir lets the reader in some of the most intimate situations of Noah’s life: his awkward teenage years, his inept plan for asking out a girl to prom and his dealings with crime.
“Born a Crime” is a window into a life many people are simply unable to picture. Being conceived illegally, eating worms for dinner and sleeping in cars for months as an eleven-year-old, such experiences can be hard to imagine. But as Noah tells his story page after page, his world becomes closer and more familiar.
Noah talks about touchy subjects of politics, race and gender yet his book has no anger. “Born a Crime” does not aim to be anti _____, fill in the blank anything. It was written to be pro: pro-humanity, pro-education, pro-hope. This book inspires people to dare.
Noah wrote, “Failure is an answer. Rejection is an answer. Regret is an eternal question you will never have the answer to.” He shares his struggles with the things not happened, so that his readers did not waste opportunities in their lives.
Spoiler alert! There will be a miracle in this book. Though for many people, Noah’s straightforward discussion of social issues is a miracle in and of itself.
Photo credit: Amazon
