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Born a Crime

Stories From a South African Childhood
Sep 15, 2017pwatkins1212 rated this title 5 out of 5 stars
Trevor’s spirit is poured carefully into a story of unfiltered truth, comedic genius, and uncanny empathy. It educates on the atrocities of apartheid and how burdens doubled by his poverty and cultural ambiguity served as starter fluid for a fire within that is as relentless as it is also creatively appealing to the forward thinker. One of my favorite quotes is, “it’s easier to be insider as outsider than it is to be outsider as an insider” because it does well in describing the place from which Trevor’s cultural sensitivity and empathy were spawn. It also iteraites the very fact that racism is an artificial and divisive construct. There is practically no simpler way to explain Noah’s love for his mother than by saying it is deep and abiding. As the starring character Noah’s mother is the quintessential superhero who while dealing with a host of foes (Trevor included) maintains the wherewithal to [literally] love fearlessly and courageously. Noah’s story calls the reader to a place of deep reflection on matters of the heart while also challenging one to consider the quality of self awareness. What I ended up taking from the book was a deepened understanding of what it means to be a "cultural chameleon" and what it means to choose to see the goodness in people in moments their absolute highest devilry. I found Trevor's giftedness in compassion and empathy to have a distinct recalibrating quality.