clcannon 's review for:

Born a Crime: Stories From a South African Childhood by Trevor Noah

5.0

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This book is a love letter to Trevor's mom. Yes, there are other anecdotes throughout, but what comes through the most is how much he loves his mom, how much she taught him, and how she loves him back just as fiercely. The book takes the same approach as Trevor's stand-up specials, by giving us a glimpse into his culture, his childhood, and many of the awful things that may have broken us, but each situation is given a bit of humor that has us laughing with him. The last 10 minutes of this had me both laughing and crying. It's an extraordinary book, well-written and organized. It's non-linear, but in doing so, helps you recall details from other chapters, a throwback of sorts, that makes the section you're reading that much better.