Born a Crime : Stories from a South African Childhood by Trevor Noah (2019, Trade Paperback)

eddoslowmo (8665)
98.4% positive feedback
Price:
$10.50
Free shipping
Estimated delivery Fri, Sep 5 - Wed, Sep 10
Returns:
30 days returns. Seller pays for return shipping.
Condition:
Brand New
Publisher: One World. Notes: New Condition, Paperback book. Sku: 2508080020. Condition: New. Qty Available: 1.

About this product

Product Identifiers

PublisherRandom House Publishing Group
ISBN-100399588191
ISBN-139780399588198
eBay Product ID (ePID)12038279153

Product Key Features

Book TitleBorn a Crime : Stories from a South African Childhood
Number of Pages304 Pages
LanguageEnglish
TopicCultural Heritage, Sociology / General, Personal Memoirs, Parenting / Motherhood, Comedy, Entertainment & Performing Arts, Africa / South / Republic of South Africa, Form / Essays
Publication Year2019
GenreFamily & Relationships, Performing Arts, Social Science, Biography & Autobiography, Humor, History
AuthorTrevor Noah
Book SeriesOne World Essentials Ser.
FormatTrade Paperback

Dimensions

Item Height0.7 in
Item Weight8.4 Oz
Item Length8.2 in
Item Width5.5 in

Additional Product Features

Intended AudienceTrade
Reviews"A soul-nourishing pleasure . . . an enormous gift." -- USA Today "By turns alarming, sad and funny . . . not just an unnerving account of growing up in South Africa under apartheid, but a love letter to the author's remarkable mother." --Michiko Kakutani, The New York Times "You'd be hard-pressed to find a comic's origin story better than the one Trevor Noah serves up in Born a Crime . . . . Witty truth-telling . . . brilliant comedy." -- O: The Oprah Magazine "Remarkable . . . smart . . . extraordinary . . . essential reading on every level." -- The Seattle Times "[Noah] thrives with the help of his astonishingly fearless mother. . . . Their fierce bond makes this story soar." -- People "When I think of Trevor Noah, the first image I see is from his brilliant memoir, Born a Crime, of Trevor's mother throwing him out of a moving vehicle while he's asleep in order to save his life. Through other eyes this could be remembered as traumatic and harrowing. Through Trevor's it is bonding and hilarious, a testament to the love of someone who truly had to think on their feet. That is how Trevor sees the world. A fantastic storyteller, he has always been a defier of rules, which he broke simply by being born in his native country." --Lupita Nyong'o, Time "Noah's not the main character in his own story--his mother is the constant . . . and by the end, Noah lovingly makes clear that the book belongs to her. . . . Noah proves to be a gifted storyteller, able to deftly lace his poignant tales with amusing irony." -- Entertainment Weekly "[An] unforgettable memoir." -- Parade "This isn't your average comic-writes-a-memoir: It's a unique look at a man who is a product of his culture--and a nuanced look at a part of the world whose people have known dark times easily pushed aside." -- Refinery29 "[Noah's] electrifying memoir sparkles with funny stories . . . and his candid and compassionate essays deepen our perception of the complexities of race, gender, and class." -- Booklist (starred review) "Powerful prose . . . told through stories and vignettes that are sharply observed, deftly conveyed and consistently candid. Growing organically from them is an affecting investigation of identity, ethnicity, language, masculinity, nationality and, most of all, humanity." -- Mail & Guardian (South Africa) "[Noah's] story of surviving--and thriving--is mind-blowing." -- Cosmopolitan "Noah has a real tale to tell, and he tells it well. . . . Among the many virtues of Born a Crime is a frank and telling portrait of life in South Africa during the 1980s and '90s." -- Newsday "An affecting memoir, Born a Crime [is] a love letter to his mother." -- The Washington Post "Witty and revealing . . . Noah's story is the story of modern South Africa." -- Publishers Weekly (starred review)
Dewey Edition23
Dewey Decimal791.4502/8092 B
Synopsis#1 NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER - More than one million copies sold! A "brilliant" (Lupita Nyong'o, Time ), "poignant" ( Entertainment Weekly ), "soul-nourishing" ( USA Today ) memoir about coming of age during the twilight of apartheid "Noah's childhood stories are told with all the hilarity and intellect that characterizes his comedy, while illuminating a dark and brutal period in South Africa's history that must never be forgotten."-- Esquire Winner of the Thurber Prize for American Humor and an NAACP Image Award - Named one of the best books of the year by The New York Time, USA Today, San Francisco Chronicle, NPR, Esquire, Newsday, and Booklist Trevor Noah's unlikely path from apartheid South Africa to the desk of The Daily Show began with a criminal act: his birth. Trevor was born to a white Swiss father and a black Xhosa mother at a time when such a union was punishable by five years in prison. Living proof of his parents' indiscretion, Trevor was kept mostly indoors for the earliest years of his life, bound by the extreme and often absurd measures his mother took to hide him from a government that could, at any moment, steal him away. Finally liberated by the end of South Africa's tyrannical white rule, Trevor and his mother set forth on a grand adventure, living openly and freely and embracing the opportunities won by a centuries-long struggle. Born a Crime is the story of a mischievous young boy who grows into a restless young man as he struggles to find himself in a world where he was never supposed to exist. It is also the story of that young man's relationship with his fearless, rebellious, and fervently religious mother--his teammate, a woman determined to save her son from the cycle of poverty, violence, and abuse that would ultimately threaten her own life. The stories collected here are by turns hilarious, dramatic, and deeply affecting. Whether subsisting on caterpillars for dinner during hard times, being thrown from a moving car during an attempted kidnapping, or just trying to survive the life-and-death pitfalls of dating in high school, Trevor illuminates his curious world with an incisive wit and unflinching honesty. His stories weave together to form a moving and searingly funny portrait of a boy making his way through a damaged world in a dangerous time, armed only with a keen sense of humor and a mother's unconventional, unconditional love., #1 NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER * More than one million copies sold! A "brilliant" (Lupita Nyong'o, Time ), "poignant" ( Entertainment Weekly ), "soul-nourishing" ( USA Today ) memoir about coming of age during the twilight of apartheid "Noah's childhood stories are told with all the hilarity and intellect that characterizes his comedy, while illuminating a dark and brutal period in South Africa's history that must never be forgotten."-- Esquire Winner of the Thurber Prize for American Humor and an NAACP Image Award * Named one of the best books of the year by The New York Time, USA Today, San Francisco Chronicle, NPR, Esquire, Newsday, and Booklist Trevor Noah's unlikely path from apartheid South Africa to the desk of The Daily Show began with a criminal act: his birth. Trevor was born to a white Swiss father and a black Xhosa mother at a time when such a union was punishable by five years in prison. Living proof of his parents' indiscretion, Trevor was kept mostly indoors for the earliest years of his life, bound by the extreme and often absurd measures his mother took to hide him from a government that could, at any moment, steal him away. Finally liberated by the end of South Africa's tyrannical white rule, Trevor and his mother set forth on a grand adventure, living openly and freely and embracing the opportunities won by a centuries-long struggle. Born a Crime is the story of a mischievous young boy who grows into a restless young man as he struggles to find himself in a world where he was never supposed to exist. It is also the story of that young man's relationship with his fearless, rebellious, and fervently religious mother--his teammate, a woman determined to save her son from the cycle of poverty, violence, and abuse that would ultimately threaten her own life. The stories collected here are by turns hilarious, dramatic, and deeply affecting. Whether subsisting on caterpillars for dinner during hard times, being thrown from a moving car during an attempted kidnapping, or just trying to survive the life-and-death pitfalls of dating in high school, Trevor illuminates his curious world with an incisive wit and unflinching honesty. His stories weave together to form a moving and searingly funny portrait of a boy making his way through a damaged world in a dangerous time, armed only with a keen sense of humor and a mother's unconventional, unconditional love., #1 NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER - The compelling, inspiring, and comically sublime story of one man's coming-of-age, set during the twilight of apartheid and the tumultuous days of freedom that followed NAMED ONE OF PASTE 'S BEST MEMOIRS OF THE DECADE - NAMED ONE OF THE BEST BOOKS OF THE YEAR BY Michiko Kakutani, New York Times - USA Today - San Francisco Chronicle - NPR - Esquire - Newsday - Booklist Trevor Noah's unlikely path from apartheid South Africa to the desk of The Daily Show began with a criminal act: his birth. Trevor was born to a white Swiss father and a black Xhosa mother at a time when such a union was punishable by five years in prison. Living proof of his parents' indiscretion, Trevor was kept mostly indoors for the earliest years of his life, bound by the extreme and often absurd measures his mother took to hide him from a government that could, at any moment, steal him away. Finally liberated by the end of South Africa's tyrannical white rule, Trevor and his mother set forth on a grand adventure, living openly and freely and embracing the opportunities won by a centuries-long struggle. Born a Crime is the story of a mischievous young boy who grows into a restless young man as he struggles to find himself in a world where he was never supposed to exist. It is also the story of that young man's relationship with his fearless, rebellious, and fervently religious mother--his teammate, a woman determined to save her son from the cycle of poverty, violence, and abuse that would ultimately threaten her own life. The stories collected here are by turns hilarious, dramatic, and deeply affecting. Whether subsisting on caterpillars for dinner during hard times, being thrown from a moving car during an attempted kidnapping, or just trying to survive the life-and-death pitfalls of dating in high school, Trevor illuminates his curious world with an incisive wit and unflinching honesty. His stories weave together to form a moving and searingly funny portrait of a boy making his way through a damaged world in a dangerous time, armed only with a keen sense of humor and a mother's unconventional, unconditional love. Praise for Born a Crime " A] compelling new memoir . . . By turns alarming, sad and funny, Trevor Noah's] book provides a harrowing look, through the prism of Mr. Noah's family, at life in South Africa under apartheid. . . . Born a Crime is not just an unnerving account of growing up in South Africa under apartheid, but a love letter to the author's remarkable mother." --Michiko Kakutani, The New York Times " An] unforgettable memoir." -- Parade "What makes Born a Crime such a soul-nourishing pleasure, even with all its darker edges and perilous turns, is reading Noah recount in brisk, warmly conversational prose how he learned to negotiate his way through the bullying and ostracism. . . . What also helped was having a mother like Patricia Nombuyiselo Noah. . . . Consider Born a Crime another such gift to her--and an enormous gift to the rest of us." --USA Today " Noah] thrives with the help of his astonishingly fearless mother. . . . Their fierce bond makes this story soar." --People
LC Classification NumberPN2287.N557

All listings for this product

Auction & Buy It Now
Auction
Buy It Now
Any Condition
New
Pre-owned

Ratings and Reviews

4.9
24 product ratings
  • 22 users rated this 5 out of 5 stars
  • 1 users rated this 4 out of 5 stars
  • 1 users rated this 3 out of 5 stars
  • 0 users rated this 2 out of 5 stars
  • 0 users rated this 1 out of 5 stars

Would recommend

Good value

Compelling content

Most relevant reviews

  • This too passed?

    It is very intriguing and subtly hilarious! He also has one of my favorite ways of giving free advice and I would like to quote one; "interviews will give you facts and information, but facts and information weren't really what I was after.... You spend time with people, you observe them and interact with them, and you come to know them"

    Verified purchase: YesCondition: New

  • Trevor Noah hits it out of the park

    This book has a lot of heart. Consisting of many chapters which are really short memoirs of Trevor Noah's life in Africa growing up. Very touching, funny and observational. He's not just a talk show host and comedian, he's a very good writer.

    Verified purchase: YesCondition: Pre-owned

  • Born a Crime, became amazing

    I read this last year and bought this copy for my daughter. What is not to like about Trevor Noah?

    Verified purchase: YesCondition: Pre-owned

  • A Captivating Read

    I am so grateful that this book made it on my son's required summer reading list. My son was actually inspired by reading about Trevor Noah's life. I am so glad that he was captivated by the writing enough to finish the book rather quickly.

    Verified purchase: YesCondition: New

  • Trevor Noah is an interesting person & the book content reflects that.

    Interesting subject & well written. Everyone should read this book.

    Verified purchase: YesCondition: New

  • Learning experience

    A book the school is making my grandson read during this semester so I presume its a good story that they can learn something from.

    Verified purchase: YesCondition: New

  • Wonderful

    Love knowing more of Trevor’s life. He has an amazing story and is one of the most genuine personalities on TV.

    Verified purchase: YesCondition: Pre-owned

  • Born a crime

    I can relate to him as I am an Island woman. He's articulate and talented full of wisdom educated and represents Africa well. He's a true comedian. I wish he was my son.

    Verified purchase: YesCondition: New

  • Born a Crime

    Very interesting true story--both funny and compelling. Also 5 Star service from supplier

    Verified purchase: YesCondition: New

  • Amazing history and increaibly fun

    Great and easy to read

    Verified purchase: YesCondition: Pre-owned