Born A Crime

"As an outsider myself, I always mixed myself with different groups…I’ve never been afraid to go into a different space and relate to those people, because I don’t have a place where I belong and that means I belong everywhere." ~ Trevor Noah

New month new challenges and to celebrate this a new book to under the spotlight of Underneath The Cover. Today I am bringing to you Born a Crime, by Trevor Noah. If you're familiar with The Daily show, then you know that Trevor Noah is John Stewart's successor and even though he had big shoes to fill, he hasn't disappointed us yet. He is hilarious and while discussing subjects of the highest importance never misses a chance to put in a well thought joke or a punch line that leaves you wondering if laughing is an appropriate reaction to what should be heartbreaking news. With his constantly growing notoriety and the odds being in his favor, none can deny the fact that it was, without a shadow of a doubt, the best moment to birth one of the best read that you will have, should you feel convinced to order it after reading this review. This book was actually listed on Bill Gates Summer Reads and turned out to be just like its author: full of unexpected surprises and reactions that where somewhere in between a breakup heartbreak, an uncontrollable laugh that might have caused accidental bladder leaks and hope that as long as you're still breathing, there's hope to create better tomorrows.

Trevor Noah was born in South Africa during the time of apartheid from a Xhosa Mother and a German expat father. In this Autobiography, Trevor Noah tell the tales of what it was like to grow up in a society where he was on the fence as a mixed (colored) kid when apartheid only drew a line of demarcation between black and white. He talks about the fight of his mother to give him the things she never had and allow him to see the world outside of the social, racial and ethnical walls imposed by the Apartheid. This story is one of a man who considering his environment and upbringing was doomed to failed but successfully beat the odds and transcended the barriers that existed way before he was even born. It brings out a reality that most people outside of Trevor's world seem to forget, a reality that anyone struggling to get to a better place in life can relate to: success is not straight line. Trevor managed to do an amazing job at telling his story vividly and with emotions, taking you from crazy laughter to tearing up because some of the struggles he went through are relatable and depict the daily life of anyone who's had to make the most out of [almost] nothing growing up. It is the story of every [African] child being whooped out of [tough] love because of our mischief and misbehavior; intertwined with a testimony of how a human being can evolve and adapt in order to stay alive. It is a book full of beautiful lessons and here are the ones that I personally took away.

1- There is nothing like the love of a mother

Trevor's mother did not have much growing up but one thing she certainly had was a fierce spirit that led her to somehow have the things she put her mind on. And that same fierce spirit is was led her to always fight to provide and protect her two sons (Trevor and his little brother Andre). She gave her all to make sure that they did not lack and that they could have the opportunities she didn't have growing up. She is the embodiment of unconditional love and self sacrifice, virtues that every parent [should] aspire to be.

2- Surround yourself with the right people

 

Reading Trevor Noah's book, I realized that to be able to succeed you have to surround yourself with people that will make you better and pull you up. Now Trevor's Friends did not seem like they could do much back then, but he always had that one friends that could find multiple ways to earn money and increase their revenues. He had people with the right mindset around him and it is very important to be surrounded with those kind of people to be able to go far in life and to be successful.

 

3- Prayer works

 

The story of how Trevor's mother escaped death after being shot in the head by her husband is one to read and one that gives you chill. But the lesson in this for me was beyond that. As Christian, we are sometimes (most of the time) being mocked for being zealous and for believing in something we supposedly have no proof of. And on top of this, we Christian ourselves get into our feelings sometimes when we pray for certain things that we do not obtain right away or when we do not see a change in our life. But this last story told by Trevor is a testimony that sometimes our prayers are the reason why we escape certain situations and how we are still alive. And I could relate to it because the reason why I am still here, running this blog, sharing my thoughts and encouraging you is because prayer works.

 

4- See beyond what your eyes can see and challenge the system

 

"Living with my mom, I saw how she used language to cross boundaries, handle situations, navigate the world." ~ Trevor Noah

Sometimes when we are stuck in a place in life, it is hard to see beyond where we are currently standing however Trevor's mother refused to adopt that mindset. Although she had little to offer and was raising a colored child during the apartheid, she gave Trevor the opportunity to experience the world beyond the social and racial barriers that were imposed by the South African government. She didn't know when (and if) the apartheid would end, but one thing she had her mind set on is that she wanted her son to experience the world beyond those limits. She wanted for her son to be adequately equipped to handle the world that he would be given once the apartheid would end. She also learned to challenge the system by finding loopholes that allowed her to live the life she had always wanted and Trevor certainly learned from the best judging by the experiences he relates in his book. Sometimes all we see is not all there is to life: we have to be willing to challenge the system, our beliefs and dare to see bigger, further than were we stand now.

This book is 304 pages of love, laugh and tragedy delivery the gut-wrenching story of one of the most successful host show American has ever known. It is available in Hardcover, paperback and Kindle and you can order online or get it in store ( I got mine from Barnes and Nobles). As I put this book down and started writing my review I was convinced of two things right off the bat: 1) it was easily a five stars rating and b) this book is by far my second best read of this year (first read will be up soon). The way the book is written makes it easy to ready and whenever you put your book down (if you can), your mind is begging for  more and you feel that uncontrollable itch to pick up from where you left at.

If you have to read one book for the rest of the months leading to the end of this year, let it be this one. You'll thank me later!

Until next time,

xo