Fionnuala Minto

I loved this book. I have followed Trevor Noah’s career as a comedian and as an intelligent and witty presenter and interviewer for years, but apart from some comedic stories that he has told as part of his stand up routines, I had little knowledge of his childhood under apartheid and his upbringing in a new South Africa. There is a constant theme of race and colour which defined much of his life, but for me the theme that stood out most to me was that this was a love letter to his mother. Her bravery, spirit, intelligence and love have informed every aspect of Trevor’s life. Together they faced poverty, hunger, abuse and other trials, but found ways to survive and thrive. At times the story made me cry, but then Trevor’s humour would lift things again. One of the best biographies I’ve ever read.