The book Born a Crime by Trevor Noah is a true, moving, and poignant memoir; it is a history of growth under the apartheid in South Africa. Employing fluent conversations, a sense of humor, and vivid descriptions of different situations, Trevor Noah composed an account of love, hope, and resistance. Unlike the usual "celebrity autobiography," this book is unique in style and colloquial. By claiming himself as a victim of apartheid, he brings readers close to himself and moves them through heart-tugging stories.

Trevor Noah is born in Johannesburg, South Africa. Unlike the other kids in the neighborhood, his mother is African, and his father is European. Under the apartheid laws, it is illegal for individuals to marry others of different races. Thus, the union of his parents is a crime, hence the origin of the book title Born a Crime.

Growing up in the ghetto, Trevor Noah seems destined for a life of crime. However, this stubborn boy, with his humor, optimism, wisdom, and more importantly, his great mother, finally escapes from the violence and poverty and enters the world stage.

Trevor Noah's mother, the book's hero, gives him the gift of learning to think for himself and to see the world through his own eyes. As Trevor Noah reflects within the book, "My mother wanted her children to be free from fate. She wanted me to be free to go anywhere, to do anything, to be anyone.” She uses her entire life to teach her son about equality among gender, race, society, and the world. “Trevor, remember a man is not determined by how much he earns. You can still be the man of the house and earn less than your woman. Being a man is not what you have, it's who you are. Being more of a man doesn't mean your woman has to be less than you.” Although Trevor grow up under such violent, unfair, and cruel atmosphere, he develops a sense of responsibility his mother fosters to face the world with a smile on the face and faith in the heart.