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4 high stars. I had no idea who comedian Trevor Noah was, but there were enough rave reviews about his book Born a Crime to make me curious. I'm so glad I read it. Noah was born in South Africa just before the end of Apartheid. His mother is black and his father was white, and given the times in which he was born, he was literally "born a crime" as a mixed race kid. His book focuses on his early years growing up in South Africa. I'm not sure I can do justice to what makes this book so excellent. While Noah makes the underlying politics clear and doesn't downplay their impact, there's a lot of humour in his book. His life story could be dramatic, but it's oddly positive. He portrays contemporary South Africa as complex and difficult, but he does a great job celebrating the survival skills his mother gave him and the way in which he learned to navigate the complex situation he was born into. Perhaps more than anything, this is an ode to his mother. She is strong, fearless and unconventional, and she seems to have passed these traits on to Noah. There are some difficult scenes -- especially at the end in the chapter focusing on Noah's mother and stepfather. But mostly Noah tells his life stories with good humour, although without sugar coating. There are so many great anecdotes and stories of his early years. And the writing just flows. Lovely book. I would be happy to keep reading about Noah's life. Thank you to the publisher and Netgalley for an opportunity to read an advance copy.