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Born a Crime

Stories From a South African Childhood
Oct 09, 2018wviquez rated this title 5 out of 5 stars
A celebrity is telling me about his life, his dogs, his first kiss. He vividly describes his home country. He confides in me the story of how his mother got shot. I’ve never met this celebrity before, but I have seen his YouTube videos and stand up comedies on Netflix. Today I have his book in my hands. I start reading and suddenly I hear his voice. I can hear the intonations, the long pauses. It is one of the strangest feelings ever, but in my brain Trevor Noah is reading his book to me. I consider myself a slow reader; yet I finished Trevor’s book in less than a week. The book begins by setting the scene with a short history lesson, which is helpful to understand the stories that follow. Page by page I feel closer to Trevor’s reality as a child and his experience growing up in a country where the government did everything possible to separate humans by their skin color (sounds familiar?). It may sound like a serious book, but do not get me wrong, you will laugh your ass off and people around you will look at you in a funny way. You may also cry. Most of the time we enclose ourselves in a bubble; we live within comfortable boundaries. We complain about rain, slow computers, no internet service or no Instagram likes. We are clueless about other people’s sufferings and the inhumane rules they are submitted to. We are unaware of what those in power want to keep quiet. The first pages of this book are an eye-opener. You will doubt the burden of your problems. You will find out that some people transform this beautiful world into a cruel place. You will learn that many others struggle and come afloat despite the adversities thrown at them. There is hope. www.colorsofcostarica.com