{"id":8380,"date":"2020-10-05T11:08:30","date_gmt":"2020-10-05T10:08:30","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/wenvoe.org.uk\/?p=8380"},"modified":"2020-10-05T11:13:34","modified_gmt":"2020-10-05T10:13:34","slug":"born-a-crime-by-trevor-noah","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/wenvoe.org.uk\/?p=8380","title":{"rendered":"Born A Crime: by Trevor Noah."},"content":{"rendered":"

OFF THE SHELF – September<\/span><\/em><\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n

This month\u2019s book was \u2018Born A Crime: Stories from a South African Childhood\u2019 by Trevor Noah.<\/span><\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n

Trevor Noah is a South African comedian, television host and actor. This is the story of his childhood in Apartheid South Africa. He was born of a black mother and a white father at a time when any mixed-race relationships were illegal. For much of his early days Trevor was concealed by his family \u2013 hence the title. Even though Noah suffered poverty, abuse and identity problems, he doesn\u2019t come over as a victim. He is a great narrator and the book is hilarious in parts and also enlightening. Each chapter begins with an explanation of some illuminating aspect of Apartheid and sets the background to his chaotic life: his living conditions, upbringing, isolation, education, the police state and of course race.<\/p>\n

Noah\u2019s mother is central to the book. Unconventional, strong, and extremely religious, she takes him to church three times on Sunday to Black, White and Coloured services (to cover all possibilities). She also believes in demons, hands out harsh beatings and couldn\u2019t love him more.<\/p>\n

A chapter that stood out highlighted Trevor\u2019s sketchy education. As well as a traditional African name, Trevor and his friends were all given a random European name. As a teenager Trevor, then a DJ, and his dancers were invited to entertain at a middle-class Jewish family party. They didn\u2019t understand that shouting out the main dancer\u2019s name (Hitler) was offensive to the hosts and were mystified that they were thrown out. \u2018We weren\u2019t taught how to think about how Hitler related to the world we lived in. We weren\u2019t being taught to think, period\u2019.<\/p>\n

This book will make you laugh, cry and cry laughing. 9\/10.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\n
\n

 <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

OFF THE SHELF – September This month\u2019s book was \u2018Born A Crime: Stories from a South African Childhood\u2019 by Trevor Noah. Trevor Noah is a South African comedian, television host and actor. This is the story of his childhood in Apartheid South Africa. He was born of a black mother and a white father at a time when any mixed-race […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":4,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_is_tweetstorm":false,"jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":false,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","enabled":false}}},"categories":[347],"tags":[],"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/p6cWjO-2ba","jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":12358,"url":"http:\/\/wenvoe.org.uk\/?p=12358","url_meta":{"origin":8380,"position":0},"title":"August 2022 Book Choice","author":"Alan Williams","date":"12th October 2022","format":false,"excerpt":"\u201cDon\u2019t Let\u2019s Go To The Dogs Tonight \"- An African Childhood by Alexandra Fuller Alexandra Fuller gives an insight into growing up within a dysfunctional family in Rhodesia\/Zimbabwe at the time of the bush wars. She tells us about her experiences - many of which are harrowing. She gives details\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Wenvoe Page Turners"","block_context":{"text":"Wenvoe Page Turners","link":"http:\/\/wenvoe.org.uk\/?cat=41"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":8503,"url":"http:\/\/wenvoe.org.uk\/?p=8503","url_meta":{"origin":8380,"position":1},"title":"Trevor Williams Xmas Workshop","author":"Alan Williams","date":"30th October 2020","format":false,"excerpt":"Trevor Williams Xmas Workshop Hello Wenvoe Readers It all started as a hobby in December 2019 in my garage, making a few Christmas decorations to keep me busy when the weather was too bad for me to play golf. 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Hope we\u2026","rel":"","context":"In \"June 2016\"","block_context":{"text":"June 2016","link":"http:\/\/wenvoe.org.uk\/?tag=june-2016"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/wenvoe.org.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/06\/English_Caricaturists_1893_-_Twopenny_Whist1.png?fit=1200%2C749&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/wenvoe.org.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/06\/English_Caricaturists_1893_-_Twopenny_Whist1.png?fit=1200%2C749&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/wenvoe.org.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/06\/English_Caricaturists_1893_-_Twopenny_Whist1.png?fit=1200%2C749&resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/wenvoe.org.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/06\/English_Caricaturists_1893_-_Twopenny_Whist1.png?fit=1200%2C749&resize=700%2C400 2x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/wenvoe.org.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/06\/English_Caricaturists_1893_-_Twopenny_Whist1.png?fit=1200%2C749&resize=1050%2C600 3x"},"classes":[]},{"id":12143,"url":"http:\/\/wenvoe.org.uk\/?p=12143","url_meta":{"origin":8380,"position":5},"title":"Shuggie Bain By Douglas Stuart","author":"Alan Williams","date":"31st August 2022","format":false,"excerpt":"OFF THE SHELF Shuggie Bain By Douglas Stuart- The 2020 Booker Prize Winner Douglas Stuart\u2019s avowedly autobiographical first novel is a story about poverty, addiction and abuse and therefore was seen by members of the group as a grim experience. 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