What will you learn from this book
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Apartheid Experience: Noah recounts his experiences growing up as a mixed-race child during apartheid, where his existence as the son of a black Xhosa mother and a white Swiss father was considered illegal under apartheid laws.
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Complex Identity: The memoir explores Noah's struggle with his complex racial and cultural identity, navigating between different racial groups and experiencing the challenges of being neither fully black nor fully white in a divided society.
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Strong Mother Figure: Noah pays tribute to his resilient and resourceful mother, Patricia Nombuyiselo Noah, who played a central role in shaping his character and instilling values of courage, independence, and perseverance.
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Humor as Coping Mechanism: Humor served as a coping mechanism for Noah and his family amidst the hardships of apartheid and poverty, providing a means of survival and resilience in the face of adversity.
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Social Commentary: Through personal anecdotes and observations, Noah offers incisive social commentary on issues such as race, class, privilege, and injustice in South Africa, drawing parallels to broader global themes.
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Education and Ambition: Despite facing numerous obstacles, Noah's pursuit of education and his ambition to succeed are central themes in the memoir, highlighting the transformative power of learning and self-improvement.
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Street Smarts: Noah reflects on the importance of street smarts and adaptability in navigating the challenges of life in South Africa, where survival often depends on one's ability to think on their feet and adapt to changing circumstances.
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Resilience and Hope: "Born a Crime" conveys a message of resilience and hope, illustrating how Noah's upbringing instilled in him the determination to rise above adversity and pursue his dreams against all odds.
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Cultural Diversity: The memoir celebrates the cultural diversity of South Africa and the rich tapestry of languages, traditions, and customs that Noah encountered in his upbringing, fostering an appreciation for the country's multicultural heritage.
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Lessons in Empathy: Through his experiences, Noah learns important lessons in empathy, compassion, and understanding, recognizing the shared humanity that transcends racial and cultural differences.
| Language | English |
|---|---|
| ISBN-10 | 1473635306 |
| ISBN-13 | 9781473635302 |
| No of pages | 304 |
| Font Size | Medium |
| Book Publisher | John Murray |
| Published Date | 21 Sep 2017 |
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The compelling, inspiring, (often comic) coming-of-age story of Trevor Noah, set during the twilight of apartheid and the tumultuous days of freedom that followed.
One of the comedy world's brightest new voices, Trevor Noah is a light-footed but sharp-minded observer of the absurdities of politics, race and identity, sharing jokes and insights drawn from the wealth of experience acquired in his relatively young life. As host of the US hit show The Daily Show with Trevor Noah, he provides viewers around the globe with their nightly dose of biting satire, but here Noah turns his focus inward, giving readers a deeply personal, heartfelt and humorous look at the world that shaped him.
Noah was born a crime, son of 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 first 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, take him away.
A collection of eighteen personal stories, Born a Crime tells the story of a mischievous young boy growing into a restless young man as he struggles to find his place in a world where he was never supposed to exist. Born a Crime is equally the story of that young man's fearless, rebellious and fervently religious mother - a woman determined to save her son from the cycle of poverty, violence and abuse that ultimately threatens her own life.
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, Noah illuminates his curious world with an incisive wit and an unflinching honesty. His stories weave together to form a personal portrait of an unlikely childhood in a dangerous time, as moving and unforgettable as the very best memoirs and as funny as Noah's own hilarious stand-up. Born a Crime is a must read.
--hodder.co.uk