Trevor Noah was born in Johannesburg in 1984 to a Black Xhosa mother and a white Swiss father at a time when their relationship was illegal under apartheid's Immorality Act. His very existence was evidence of a crime, so as a small child he was often kept indoors and could not be seen in public with his father.
The memoir is organised as a series of linked essays rather than a strict chronology. Noah recounts life in Soweto with his grandmother, being too light-skinned for Black neighbourhoods and too dark for white ones, using language to slip between groups, running a pirated CD business as a teenager in Alexandra township, and brushes with the police. Each chapter is introduced by a short explanation of the history or politics behind it.
At the centre stands his mother, Patricia, a devout, independent woman who refused to let the system define her son. The book is laugh-out-loud funny yet unflinching about poverty, racism and domestic violence. It won the 2017 Thurber Prize for American Humor and has a young readers' edition.
Book details
| Author | Trevor Noah |
|---|---|
| First published | 2016 |
| Original language | English |
| Genre | Memoir |
| Type | Non-fiction |
| Pages (approx.) | 304 |
| Setting | Johannesburg and Soweto, South Africa, 1980s-2000s |
| Awards | Thurber Prize for American Humor 2017 |
Themes
- Apartheid
- Race and identity
- Mothers and sons
- Poverty
- Language
Who should read it
Readers who want to understand apartheid's legacy through a personal story that is as funny as it is moving.
If you liked this, try
- Long Walk to Freedom
- Educated
- The Glass Castle