Born a Crime by Trevor Noah is an autobiography of his life before becoming a well known tv personality.

Noah’s birth to an interracial couple is a crime in apartheid South Africa. Much of his young childhood is spent pretending his mom and dad are not his actual parents (depending on the neighborhood they’re in or who they’re with).

Noah writes his life story by mixing in historical information about post apartheid in South Africa. He describes himself as a colored person, neither fully black nor white. This automatically sets him up for many uncomfortable situations in school and life as he attempts to fit in.

His mom is a very important part of his life. She is devoutly religious and they spent every Sunday going from church to church. She raised him to be an independent thinker. Noah was always a troublemaker and entrepreneurial. He started making money off his peers at a young age.

He recounts many of his pivotal life stories. There is a mixture of funny, scary and emotional events that make up Noah’s life. This was a very interesting read and it opened my eyes to a life and place I had no prior knowledge about.