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  • Born a Crime

  • Stories from a South African Childhood
  • Written by: Trevor Noah
  • Narrated by: Trevor Noah
  • Length: 8 hrs and 44 mins
  • 4.9 out of 5 stars (13,580 ratings)

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Born a Crime cover art

Born a Crime

Written by: Trevor Noah
Narrated by: Trevor Noah
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Publisher's Summary

Highest-rated new book of 2016 by Audible customers

Winner: Audible's Best of 2016 - Celebrity Memoirs

In this award-winning Audible Studios production, Trevor Noah tells his wild coming-of-age tale during the twilight of apartheid in South Africa. It’s a story that begins with his mother throwing him from a moving van to save him from a potentially fatal dispute with gangsters, then follows the budding comedian’s path to self-discovery through episodes both poignant and comical. Noah’s virtuoso embodiment of all the characters from his childhood, and his ability to perform accents and dialects effortlessly in English, Xhosa, and Zulu, garnered the Audie Award for Best Male Narrator in 2018. Nevertheless, Noah’s devoted and uncompromising mother—as voiced by her son—steals the show.

©2016 Spiegel & Grau (P)2016 Audible, Inc.

What the critics say

"Comedian Trevor Noah's stories of growing up in South Africa are vivid, sometimes harrowing, and often laugh-out-loud funny. The bonus of audio is that listeners get to HEAR Noah tell these stories in his South African-accented English, as well as hear him speak snippets of various other South African languages. Noah (who succeeded Jon Stewart as the host of 'The Daily Show') is a natural storyteller - skilled, engaging, and relatable.... Noah's narration offers insights and intimacy." (AudioFile)

"The author’s gift for vocal impersonation elevates the audio version into something even more splendid than an already terrific memoir.” (The Washington Post)

The author’s gift for vocal impersonation elevates the audio version into something even more splendid than an already terrific memoir.

- The Washington Post

Our favourite moments from Born a Crime

Born a Crime
"No, Mom! This was not thanks to God!"
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Born a Crime
"Once Mandela was elected, we could finally live freely."
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Born a Crime
"If my mother had one goal, it was to free my mind."
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  • Born a Crime
  • "No, Mom! This was not thanks to God!"
  • Born a Crime
  • "Once Mandela was elected, we could finally live freely."
  • Born a Crime
  • "If my mother had one goal, it was to free my mind."

Editorial Review

Never quite belonging, and never fitting into one place or one race. Alienated, separated, and every bit an individual, Trevor Noah explains what it means to be Born a Crime.

In this audiobook, Trevor Noah, award-winning host of The Daily Show, tells the story of his life, starting with his being conceived by a white father and Black mother in a South Africa ruled by apartheid. Beyond recounting his own turbulent childhood, Noah’s memoir reflects the larger picture of a country and culture fraught with pain, separation, and corruption. Noah doesn’t hold anything back, and dives into anecdotes and recollections of his past that are at once deeply personal and universally relatable. Listeners will love the chance to take a peek back into his early years and the formative experiences that have made this infamous comedian the man he is today.

Memoirs tend to hit more powerfully when they are read by their author, and Born a Crime is no exception. Noah brings a personal touch to this audiobook with style and grace. His conversational tone is inviting and relatable, while his humour and comedic timing are impeccable. He is able to recount tales using a wide variety of voices and accents to add authenticity, comedy, and heart to his stories; this impressive skill led to his winning an Audie Award for Best Male Narrator.

Born a Crime is a story that will touch and uplift listeners—especially those who have struggled with feeling like an outsider or not fitting into any one particular box. Noah uses his life and his biracial background to add poignancy to both a personal memoir and a look at social constructs. History reveals a lot about human nature, and his recollections of South Africa expose the flaws of systemic racism while reminding us of prejudices and biases still present today. Written and performed with humour, grace, and an open heart, this audiobook has a little bit of everything and is truly a must-listen for just about anyone.

What listeners say about Born a Crime

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Superb

I listened to it twice; back to back. That's a testament. I laughed (aloud, in public), was shocked, saddened at times, and I feel I learned not only about another person, but their culture too. I loved it.

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37 people found this helpful

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Extremely beautiful!

This is an incredible read. It is so vivid and tells lots of funny and heartbreaking experiences of Trevor Noah’s life. I absolutely loved it! There are many profound philosophical ideas in the book and I love his mother to bits after reading this. She is a true hero! Also, it’s performed by him so it makes it even better.

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19 people found this helpful

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This guy could read me the phone book! *swoon*

I really dig Trevor's accent and his ability to mimic other people's voices and accents. It really made his story come alive for me. I was so intrigued and drawn in, it inspired me to learn more about a part of the world I am quite ignorant about. I listened to this book every chance I got and I'm looking forward to listening to his podcasts. Truly a brilliant storyteller.

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17 people found this helpful

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An amazing story!

This book took me only a week to read. it was so thoughtfully written, put in such a perspective that really helps the reader understand how circumstances and situations are so impactful to the outcome of people's lives. the complexity of growing up in apartheid are so much more apparent in reading this. the author was serious, yet funny which keeps the tone light but maintains the impact of the story.

#Audible1

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11 people found this helpful

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Best book I have listened to so far on audible.

Hilarious, heartfelt and raw stories brought to life with wit and accents. It was really a pleasure to listen to. His story is very dynamic and unique yet often very relatable. I would recommend listening to it rather than reading print because of the ways he recreates the dialogues in different accents and languages, this adds so much to the action! A must read (audio) book!!

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Honestly...

Trevor Noah's life story is too amazing for words. A truly brilliant piece of work!

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7 people found this helpful

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this is what they call a must-read... must-listen?

I'm so happy that i picked this book as my first audible experience. To hear his accent and vocal impersonations felt like the age old storytelling tradition...which I enjoyed. I also learned so much about South Africa and its people. We all know about Nelson Mandela, but Trevor gave us another perspective told from a younger generation's voice. I've always thought trevor noah was a classy, good looking dude maybe from a wealthy, educated family. Wow! to learn how tough his life was. Yet he always found the humor in it all. loooooved this from beginning to end

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6 people found this helpful

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Enlightening

It made me laugh, it made me cry, it helped me to understand the crisis in South Africa more. I learnt a great deal listening to this audiobook, not just about about Trevor but south Africa. It caused me to think about Canada and our Aboriginal citizens and what they must have gone through.

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4 people found this helpful

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What an incredible and inspiring story!

I don't know if I would have enjoyed this book as much if I'd read it rather than listened. Trevor Noah's spirited reading, his mastery of all the African languages and accents, and of course his personal connection to the stories made it entertaining from start to finish.

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4 people found this helpful

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not my read

sorry to say but this read didn't live up to my expectations. I was impressed with the start of his story but afterwards, it was just the story of a con artist who didn't take anything seriously. it was a far cry from the person you see on tv today. very disappointed as I felt I would be told the whole story and wasn't.

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2 people found this helpful