The World's Best Book Summaries
Who is Abel Shingange? What significance did he play in Trevor Noah’s life? And what did he have to do with the shooting of Noah’s mother? Abel Shingange is Trevor Noah’s ex-stepfather. Noah writes about him extensively in his memoir Born a Crime. Learn the history of Abel’s abusive relationship with Noah’s mom and how these events led up to the day Noah’s mother almost died.
Who is Gene Westover? What is Gene’s relationship with his daughter Tara like? And why doesn’t Tara Westover have any contact with him? Gene Westover is the fictional name Tara Westover gives to her father in her memoir Educated. We’ll look at events leading up to Gene Westover’s break with Tara, events that might indicate why Tara chose not to reveal Gene’s real name, even though she used the real names of some of her other family members.
How many languages does Trevor Noah speak? How have Noah’s amazing language skills helped him in life? Trevor Noah reportedly speaks eight languages: English, Xhosa, Zulu, Tsonga, Southern Sotho, Tswana, Afrikaans, and German. Learn how they helped him understand his place in a divided post-apartheid South Africa.
What was apartheid? Was Trevor Noah alive during apartheid in South Africa? And what was Trevor Noah’s apartheid experience? How did it shape who he is today? Apartheid was a system of institutionalized racism in South Africa. It began in 1948 and lasted for 46 years. The laws delineated different rights to citizens based on race, with the white race reigning supreme. Trevor Noah spent the first five years of his life in apartheid-era South Africa. Learn what apartheid was, how it shaped Noah’s life particularly, and the impact it’s had on post-apartheid South Africa.
Who is Trevor Noah’s father? How did they lose touch? And what impact did he have on the comedian’s life? Trevor Noah’s father is Robert Noah, a Swiss-German who opened one of the first integrated restaurants in Johannesburg during apartheid. Learn how Trevor Noah’s parents met, how Trevor lost touch with his father, and how they reunited through Trevor’s valiant efforts.
What’s it like to study at the University of Cambridge? What’s it like to study there when you’ve had little formal schooling and you hadn’t heard of the university until you applied? This was Tara Westover’s Cambridge experience. Tara Westover’s Cambridge experience is entirely unique, but it also conveys the culture shock many people experience when they go to a new place. Learn how Tara Westover’s experience in Cambridge changed her life, as depicted in her memoir Educated.
Who is Babiki in Noah’s memoir Born a Crime? What can the story of Trevor Noah, Babiki, and the big dance teach us about the sometimes negative consequences of a country with 11 official languages? And how bad can a first date get? Babiki was Trevor Noah’s first date, whom he took the big matric dance, which is the equivalent of a high school prom in America. First dates are typically awkward, and love can be a language all its own, and a hard one to learn. Let’s look at how learning the language of romance is complicated by South
Who is Trevor Noah’s mom? In what ways did push the boundaries of apartheid and post-apartheid era South Africa? And how did she shape the comedian into the success he is today? Trevor Noah’s mom is Patricia Noah. She chose to give birth to Noah as an act of protest during apartheid and raised Noah primarily on her own. Trevor Noah’s mom taught him to be assertive, creative, and independent. Learn how Patricia Noah’s early life turned her into the woman she became, and how her relationship with Trevor developed over the years.
Perhaps one of the best-known Mormon survivalist families is the Westovers, made famous in daughter Tara Westover’s memoir Educated. What was it like to be a child in the Westover family? We’ll cover the parts of the book that best demonstrate what growing up in a Mormon survivalist family was like for Tara.
Who is Audrey Westover? What is Audrey’s relationship with her sister Tara like? Are they still in contact? Audrey Westover is the fictional name Tara Westover gives to her only sister in the memoir Educated. We’ll cover parts of Educated that demonstrate the complicated relationship between Audrey Westover and the author. We’ll also look at why they’re no longer in contact.