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Bedtime Biography: Born a Crime summary

Name: Bedtime Biography: Born a Crime
Rating: 4.5 (43 reviews)
Author: Trevor Noah

Trevor Noah

Stories from a South African Childhood

4.5 (43 ratings)

42 mins

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Bedtime Biography: Born a Crime
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Introduction

Bedtime Biographies are best when listened to. Check out the audio version to get the full experience!

You’ve almost certainly heard of the world-famous South African comedian Trevor Noah. Maybe you know him as host of The Daily Show. Or perhaps you’ve seen some of his stand-up comedy, where he’s known for his uncanny impressions, his impressive knack for languages, and the ability to make painful anecdotes hilarious.

What you might not know is that he had quite the extraordinary upbringing in South Africa – and that he overcame great odds to achieve his fame. At the center of his story is the love and strength he received from his unforgettable mother.

Settle in, and get cozy. This one’s a heart-warmer!

Chapter 1

We begin our story not too long ago, but in a world governed by very different rules.

Trevor Noah was born in Johannesburg in 1984. At that time, South Africa was still under apartheid – a rigid and convoluted system of racial oppression and segregation.

Chapter 2

What’s remarkable about Patricia’s choice to have a child with a white man is that she couldn’t have known – nobody could have – that apartheid would end just a few years later. It wasn’t only risky for her to have an interracial affair with a white man, it was risky to even be seen with her own son – Trevor’s lighter skin led people to believe he was of a different race. And that would simply raise too many questions.

When walking down the street in Johannesburg with her own little boy, Patricia would often have a lighter-skinned neighbor accompany her. They’d pretend that the neighbor was Trevor’s mother. Even now, when Trevor Noah looks through old photo albums, he’s amused to see many photographs of himself as a toddler with this neighbor. His mother is trailing behind, appearing to photobomb each picture.

Chapter 3

Much of Trevor’s early life was marked by poverty. He was raised by a single mother, in a state that actively oppressed Black people. There was little food; often, they’d have to eat caterpillars to survive.

During school holidays, Trevor stayed at his grandmother's two-room house. There, he slept on the floor along with his mother, grandmother, great-grandmother, aunt, uncle, and cousins. There was no indoor plumbing.

Chapter 4

In 1990, Nelson Mandela was freed from his life sentence. Trevor remembers watching it on television; everyone was happy, but he didn’t understand why. A year later, right around the time Trevor burned down the house, apartheid officially came to an end.

But this triumph merely signaled the beginning of a whole new range of problems. Post-apartheid South Africa was a difficult territory to navigate, particularly for Black people.

Chapter 5

Trevor also navigated his own way through post-apartheid South Africa by tapping into his ability with languages. At the time, there were eleven official languages in the country. Trevor set about learning several, which helped him more than once. On one occasion, he overheard a gang of approaching Zulu boys discussing their plan to mug him. Before they got to him, he piped up in Zulu and suggested they attack someone else. Shocked that he spoke Zulu, they left him alone.

Being a polyglot also helped him during the pains of puberty. Adolescence is uncomfortable for anyone, but it didn’t help that Trevor was prone to acne, nor that his family’s impoverished status meant he never had the right clothes. But Trevor had the language skills; he didn’t have to limit himself to one social group and soon grew adept at floating between them.

Chapter 6

A big part of why we know of Trevor Noah today is because he managed to avoid falling into a cycle of crime and punishment. His career took off quickly in his early twenties – but even then there was still trouble at home, and his family still lived in poverty.

Abel and Patricia were married for several years and had two children together, but the relationship soon became abusive. Though charming, Abel was also an alcoholic who could get violent when he was drunk.

The End

You’ve reached the end of this Bedtime Biography. Thank you for listening. Why not pause listening now so you can stay in a relaxed state? And if you’re off to bed now, I wish you a good night’s sleep.

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What is Bedtime Biography: Born a Crime about?

Narrated by Valeri Ross

Music by Federico Coderoni

Born a Crime (2016) is about comedian and television host Trevor Noah's childhood and adolescence in apartheid-era and post-apartheid South Africa. A child of mixed heritage, Born a Crime details the challenges Noah faced and the social paradoxes that existed as he was growing up.

Who should read Bedtime Biography: Born a Crime?

Trevor Noah fans
Those interested in life during and after apartheid in South Africa
Anyone after an inspiring personal story

About the Author

Trevor Noah is a world-renowned South African comedian, as well as a radio and television host. He has been hosting the Daily Show since September 2015, and has won numerous prizes, most recently the 2017 MTV Movie & TV Awards for Best Host.

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