--- product_id: 104774567 title: "BORN A CRIME" price: "€ 56.82" currency: EUR in_stock: true reviews_count: 13 url: https://www.desertcart.at/products/104774567-born-a-crime store_origin: AT region: Austria --- # BORN A CRIME **Price:** € 56.82 **Availability:** ✅ In Stock ## Quick Answers - **What is this?** BORN A CRIME - **How much does it cost?** € 56.82 with free shipping - **Is it available?** Yes, in stock and ready to ship - **Where can I buy it?** [www.desertcart.at](https://www.desertcart.at/products/104774567-born-a-crime) ## Best For - Customers looking for quality international products ## Why This Product - Free international shipping included - Worldwide delivery with tracking - 15-day hassle-free returns ## Description #1 NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER • More than one million copies sold! A “brilliant” (Lupita Nyong’o, Time ), “poignant” ( Entertainment Weekly ), “soul-nourishing” ( USA Today ) memoir about coming of age during the twilight of apartheid “Noah’s childhood stories are told with all the hilarity and intellect that characterizes his comedy, while illuminating a dark and brutal period in South Africa’s history that must never be forgotten.”— Esquire Winner of the Thurber Prize for American Humor and an NAACP Image Award • Named one of the best books of the year by The New York Time, USA Today, San Francisco Chronicle, NPR, Esquire, Newsday, and Booklist Trevor Noah’s unlikely path from apartheid South Africa to the desk of The Daily Show began with a criminal act: his birth. Trevor was born to a white Swiss father and a black Xhosa mother at a time when such a union was punishable by five years in prison. Living proof of his parents’ indiscretion, Trevor was kept mostly indoors for the earliest years of his life, bound by the extreme and often absurd measures his mother took to hide him from a government that could, at any moment, steal him away. Finally liberated by the end of South Africa’s tyrannical white rule, Trevor and his mother set forth on a grand adventure, living openly and freely and embracing the opportunities won by a centuries-long struggle. Born a Crime is the story of a mischievous young boy who grows into a restless young man as he struggles to find himself in a world where he was never supposed to exist. It is also the story of that young man’s relationship with his fearless, rebellious, and fervently religious mother—his teammate, a woman determined to save her son from the cycle of poverty, violence, and abuse that would ultimately threaten her own life. The stories collected here are by turns hilarious, dramatic, and deeply affecting. Whether subsisting on caterpillars for dinner during hard times, being thrown from a moving car during an attempted kidnapping, or just trying to survive the life-and-death pitfalls of dating in high school, Trevor illuminates his curious world with an incisive wit and unflinching honesty. His stories weave together to form a moving and searingly funny portrait of a boy making his way through a damaged world in a dangerous time, armed only with a keen sense of humor and a mother’s unconventional, unconditional love. Review: The Love A Son Has For His Mother - WONDERFUL - This is a delightful book everyone should take the time to read. If you have heard of Trevor Noah or seen him on tv, this book will leave you even more amazed when you learn about his upbringing and background. Trevor’s father is white, and his mother is black. Trevor was born in South Africa when apartheid was just coming to an end, but black and white people weren’t supposed to have children together. Trevor was, as the title says, born a crime. Trevor does a remarkable job retelling his personal history without any of it sounding cliché or boring. He jokes with us about traditions and foods and living arrangements, while casually leading us through some dark roads that are private and troubling. He even details some of his awkward attempts to date girls. But always he is teaching us about South African history in quick powerful jabs that directly correlate with specific events in his life. One of his favorite subjects throughout, because of his mother’s deeply religious stance on everything, is the curious nuances people had concerning faith in Christ and old superstitious habits. He often tested these boundaries with his mother and the older women who helped raise him. There are barely any men involved in his upbringing because of several factors, which he also discusses in the book. The first book he learned to read was the Bible. He read it in English. His mother wanted to make sure his first language was English. And unlike most people in South Africa, by attending different church services and events in so many different places, he learned to speak quite a few other languages. Because of the lighter color of his skin and his ability to speak many languages, he found he could blend into many groups without really becoming a member of any of them. The government, as a means of control, wanted everyone in groups. They continually forced people to register as white, black, colored, or Indian. And keeping people divided into groups by language was even more detrimental to change. And if you didn’t choose a group when in some government office, a clerk would look at you and decide which box you belonged in. At first his parents couldn’t even be seen in most public venues with him because of the color of his skin, even as a baby and small child. They hired others to walk with him as a caregiver and his parents couldn’t walk together or near him. If they went to cousins’ houses, even his grandparents, he’d have to stay indoors. They couldn’t let the authorities know he was mixed. In fact, his mother didn’t tell the hospital who his father was when he was born. The chief strength of this book, I believe, is how open and honest Trevor is about his relationship with his mother. They endured a great many things together. And although they never had much money or reliable transportation, she was determined to keep traveling to all these different churches. It was dangerous. There was a lot of violence on the road, but for his mother, all obstacles were the devil’s doing and Jesus would make a way. Trevor says in the book that “apartheid is sometimes called the Bloodless Revolution. It is called that because very little white blood was spilled. Black blood ran in the streets.” Trevor says his mother was hard on him, strict and disciplined. And he admits to being naughty and unruly, a real troublemaker. He talks openly about how he started pirating CDs and how he and his crew would hustle people in the streets with small loans paid with interest. His mother didn’t want him growing up believing there were any boundaries, despite all the obvious boundaries, so he used his creative energy to do things we would consider to be highly illegal. But as he says in the book, “crime succeeds because crime does the one thing the government doesn’t do: crime cares. Crime is grassroots. Crime looks for the young kids who need support and a lifting hand.” And he follows this up by saying “It’s easy to be judgmental about crime when you live in a world wealthy enough to be removed from it. But the hood taught me that everyone has different notions of right and wrong, different definitions of what constitutes a crime, and what level of crime they are willing to participate in.” In the streets, he spent time with teachers, clerks, business owners, bus drivers, gangsters, and crack addicts. There wasn’t a lot of difference between them. They all seemed to need each other as part of a simple ecosystem that operated under its own rules. He went to jail and he learned some valuable lessons from the people he grew up with in various cities and schools. He even gives us a sense of culture shock by talking about their perspective of history. For those in South Africa, names like Hitler and Mussolini didn’t carry the same ominous overtones they do to us, and so it wasn’t unusual to have acquaintances with these names, even friends. And there is one particular story about this in the book that will leave the reader’s mouth hanging open. For those raised in South Africa, they had other names they associated with genocide, like Cecil Rhodes. They weren’t taught history like the west. In fact, as he tells us, under apartheid, they didn’t learn any history, science, or civics. If you weren’t white, you were taught agriculture and hole digging. They didn’t expect the nonwhites to aspire to be anything but laborers. Trevor’s mother was lucky enough to have been raised in a mission school where a white pastor taught her English, allowing her later to learn how to become a secretary, which was unheard of for black women. There are so many interesting stories revealed in this book, including most harrowingly his broken relationship with his father and his stepfather, one of which ends in a violent, bloody situation that leaves the reader absolutely stunned. By the end of this book, I had tears in my eyes. Trevor had done such a great job of solidifying this wonderful bond he had with his mother, that the end of the book was a shock. It was not what I expected. It’s worth reading just to get to that great finish. This is truly a book about a son’s love for his mother. Giving your child a name that has a special meaning is important for families in South Africa. Trevor tells us that his mother once told him that she chose the name Trevor for him because it had no meaning in South Africa. “She wanted me to be free to go anywhere, do anything, be anyone.” “… don’t cry about your past. Life is full of pain. Let the pain sharpen you, but don’t hold onto it. Don’t be bitter.” I highly recommend this book. You will experience a great many emotions reading it. Five Stars! Review: A must read! - This was the most incredible book I've ever read! The storytelling is incredible and draws you in fully. I laughed out loud and also cried. Amazing. ## Technical Specifications | Specification | Value | |---------------|-------| | Best Sellers Rank | #609 in Books ( See Top 100 in Books ) #1 in Comedy (Books) #1 in Humor Essays (Books) #2 in Black & African American Biographies | | Customer Reviews | 4.7 out of 5 stars 113,623 Reviews | ## Images ![BORN A CRIME - Image 1](https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/91oO6pLnhVL.jpg) ## Available Options This product comes in different **Media Language, Media Format** options. ## Customer Reviews ### ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ The Love A Son Has For His Mother - WONDERFUL *by A***R on January 14, 2024* This is a delightful book everyone should take the time to read. If you have heard of Trevor Noah or seen him on tv, this book will leave you even more amazed when you learn about his upbringing and background. Trevor’s father is white, and his mother is black. Trevor was born in South Africa when apartheid was just coming to an end, but black and white people weren’t supposed to have children together. Trevor was, as the title says, born a crime. Trevor does a remarkable job retelling his personal history without any of it sounding cliché or boring. He jokes with us about traditions and foods and living arrangements, while casually leading us through some dark roads that are private and troubling. He even details some of his awkward attempts to date girls. But always he is teaching us about South African history in quick powerful jabs that directly correlate with specific events in his life. One of his favorite subjects throughout, because of his mother’s deeply religious stance on everything, is the curious nuances people had concerning faith in Christ and old superstitious habits. He often tested these boundaries with his mother and the older women who helped raise him. There are barely any men involved in his upbringing because of several factors, which he also discusses in the book. The first book he learned to read was the Bible. He read it in English. His mother wanted to make sure his first language was English. And unlike most people in South Africa, by attending different church services and events in so many different places, he learned to speak quite a few other languages. Because of the lighter color of his skin and his ability to speak many languages, he found he could blend into many groups without really becoming a member of any of them. The government, as a means of control, wanted everyone in groups. They continually forced people to register as white, black, colored, or Indian. And keeping people divided into groups by language was even more detrimental to change. And if you didn’t choose a group when in some government office, a clerk would look at you and decide which box you belonged in. At first his parents couldn’t even be seen in most public venues with him because of the color of his skin, even as a baby and small child. They hired others to walk with him as a caregiver and his parents couldn’t walk together or near him. If they went to cousins’ houses, even his grandparents, he’d have to stay indoors. They couldn’t let the authorities know he was mixed. In fact, his mother didn’t tell the hospital who his father was when he was born. The chief strength of this book, I believe, is how open and honest Trevor is about his relationship with his mother. They endured a great many things together. And although they never had much money or reliable transportation, she was determined to keep traveling to all these different churches. It was dangerous. There was a lot of violence on the road, but for his mother, all obstacles were the devil’s doing and Jesus would make a way. Trevor says in the book that “apartheid is sometimes called the Bloodless Revolution. It is called that because very little white blood was spilled. Black blood ran in the streets.” Trevor says his mother was hard on him, strict and disciplined. And he admits to being naughty and unruly, a real troublemaker. He talks openly about how he started pirating CDs and how he and his crew would hustle people in the streets with small loans paid with interest. His mother didn’t want him growing up believing there were any boundaries, despite all the obvious boundaries, so he used his creative energy to do things we would consider to be highly illegal. But as he says in the book, “crime succeeds because crime does the one thing the government doesn’t do: crime cares. Crime is grassroots. Crime looks for the young kids who need support and a lifting hand.” And he follows this up by saying “It’s easy to be judgmental about crime when you live in a world wealthy enough to be removed from it. But the hood taught me that everyone has different notions of right and wrong, different definitions of what constitutes a crime, and what level of crime they are willing to participate in.” In the streets, he spent time with teachers, clerks, business owners, bus drivers, gangsters, and crack addicts. There wasn’t a lot of difference between them. They all seemed to need each other as part of a simple ecosystem that operated under its own rules. He went to jail and he learned some valuable lessons from the people he grew up with in various cities and schools. He even gives us a sense of culture shock by talking about their perspective of history. For those in South Africa, names like Hitler and Mussolini didn’t carry the same ominous overtones they do to us, and so it wasn’t unusual to have acquaintances with these names, even friends. And there is one particular story about this in the book that will leave the reader’s mouth hanging open. For those raised in South Africa, they had other names they associated with genocide, like Cecil Rhodes. They weren’t taught history like the west. In fact, as he tells us, under apartheid, they didn’t learn any history, science, or civics. If you weren’t white, you were taught agriculture and hole digging. They didn’t expect the nonwhites to aspire to be anything but laborers. Trevor’s mother was lucky enough to have been raised in a mission school where a white pastor taught her English, allowing her later to learn how to become a secretary, which was unheard of for black women. There are so many interesting stories revealed in this book, including most harrowingly his broken relationship with his father and his stepfather, one of which ends in a violent, bloody situation that leaves the reader absolutely stunned. By the end of this book, I had tears in my eyes. Trevor had done such a great job of solidifying this wonderful bond he had with his mother, that the end of the book was a shock. It was not what I expected. It’s worth reading just to get to that great finish. This is truly a book about a son’s love for his mother. Giving your child a name that has a special meaning is important for families in South Africa. Trevor tells us that his mother once told him that she chose the name Trevor for him because it had no meaning in South Africa. “She wanted me to be free to go anywhere, do anything, be anyone.” “… don’t cry about your past. Life is full of pain. Let the pain sharpen you, but don’t hold onto it. Don’t be bitter.” I highly recommend this book. You will experience a great many emotions reading it. Five Stars! ### ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ A must read! *by W***M on August 18, 2026* This was the most incredible book I've ever read! The storytelling is incredible and draws you in fully. I laughed out loud and also cried. Amazing. ### ⭐⭐⭐⭐ Born a Crime *by K***A on September 5, 2026* This book completely held my attention. I also learned a lot about South Africa. Trevor had an almost unbelievable life. Reading everything he went through and still survived is inspiring. --- ## Why Shop on Desertcart? - 🛒 **Trusted by 1.3+ Million Shoppers** — Serving international shoppers since 2016 - 🌍 **Shop Globally** — Access 737+ million products across 21 categories - 💰 **No Hidden Fees** — All customs, duties, and taxes included in the price - 🔄 **15-Day Free Returns** — Hassle-free returns (30 days for PRO members) - 🔒 **Secure Payments** — Trusted payment options with buyer protection - ⭐ **TrustPilot Rated 4.5/5** — Based on 8,000+ happy customer reviews **Shop now:** [https://www.desertcart.at/products/104774567-born-a-crime](https://www.desertcart.at/products/104774567-born-a-crime) --- *Product available on Desertcart Austria* *Store origin: AT* *Last updated: 2026-10-11*