“The genius of apartheid was convincing people who were the overwhelming majority to turn on each other. Apart hate, is what it was. You separate people into groups and make them hate one another so you can rule them all.”
Born a Crime by Trevor Noah (2016, Penguin Random House Canada)
The opening lines of of Trevor Noah’s memoir is a perfect introduction to the story of his childhood growing up in South Africa. The anecdotes told in this book reflect both his humour and the experience of so many South Africans during the time period described. An interesting read for both South Africans and non-South Africans alike.
What do you think of the introduction to Noah’s memoir? Would you continue reading?
© Colline Kook-Chun, 2019
(This post is linked to It’s Not Hoarding If It’s Books and her One Line Friday challenge.)
yes, it really draws me in
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I hope you get a chance to read it. The book is really well written.
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Wow. Powerful opening line!!! I need to pick a copy of this book up! Happy Friday!
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This is an excellent read. I loved it so much that even my husband had to read it 😄
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I’ve heard of this one but haven’t read it yet. That is one super powerful first line!
Today on my blog I shared the first line from The Express Bride by Kimberley Woodhouse but I’m just getting into Yours Truly, Thomas by Rachel Fordham so I’ll share the first line from that book here: “After letting an involuntary squeal escape, Penny pulled the yellow papers closer and pressed her lips to them.” Hope you have a wonderful weekend with plenty of reading time!
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You should pick it up if you have a chance. You will not regret it as there are many powerful lines within its pages.
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That’s a powerful statement and great opening line!
Today I’m sharing on my blog the first line from Caverns of the Deep by Jeanette O’Hagan:
Zara walked towards the tall ebony gate, the first of seven leading outside.
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I love it too. And the book is a very interesting read.
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Happy Friday, Colline! I hope to read this at some point. I still remember a series of talks by people who had escaped South Africa’s Apartheid that I went to in the 1980’s.
I’m sharing from All Manner of Things by Susie Finkbeiner today. Here is the first line of the prologue:
“Summer 1955
We sat at the end of the dock, my father and me.”
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Even though the separate act no longer exists, separate groups still exist in South Africa (as they do all over the world). The difference is that now it is easier to cross over into other groups – and one does not get jailed for it!
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The first few lines attracted me Colline, a book well worth reading in this current political world we live in, thank you for the link, I do actually get some good links from your posts on books, not all naturally to my taste, but now and then one ignites the spark of interest.
Kind regards.
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This one is certainly an interesting read Ian as it describes the experience of a child of mixed race growing up in apartheid South Africa. Definitely not an experience many people would know about.
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That first line could equally refer to 1930s Germany …
Today I’m sharing from Entanglements by Rachel McMillan on my blog, one of the novellas in Finding Ever After. Here’s the first line from the next story in the collection, Twice Upon a Time by Ashley Clark:
“Under no circumstances would she fall for him again.”
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And to many other pockets of history all lover the world.
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