Lisa Brennan-Jobs to Publish Memoir of Her Childhood With Steve Jobs and Chrisann Brennan

Grove Press this week announced that Lisa Brennan-Jobs, the eldest daughter of late Apple co-founder Steve Jobs and artist Chrisann Brennan, is working on a memoir about her childhood spent between two imperfect but extraordinary parents. The news was first reported by the Associated Press.

lisa brennan jobs

Lisa Brennan-Jobs and Steve Jobs via BHW

In the book, titled Small Fry, Brennan-Jobs recounts how Jobs was "rarely present" in the early years of her life, as he denied paternity. As she grew older, however, Jobs began to show an interest in her and apologized for his behavior.

The memoir's description notes that Jobs ushered his daughter into a "new world of mansions, vacations, and private schools." Brennan-Jobs was "thrilled" to receive attention from her father, but he could be "cold, critical and unpredictable" at times, echoing stories about his management style at Apple:

When she was young, Lisa's father was a mythical figure who was rarely present in her life. As she grew older, her father took an interest in her, ushering her into a new world of mansions, vacations, and private schools. His attention was thrilling, but he could also be cold, critical and unpredictable. When her relationship with her mother grew strained in high school, Lisa decided to move in with her father, hoping he'd become the parent she'd always wanted him to be.

Brennan-Jobs, 39, graduated from Harvard University in 2000 and is now a professional writer. Jobs named the Apple Lisa, released one year before the original Macintosh, after her. She has three half-siblings, including Reed Jobs, Erin Jobs, and Eve Jobs, from Jobs's later marriage to Laurene Powell.

Small Fry is scheduled for release in September, according to the Associated Press and a listing on the HarperCollins Canada website.

Popular Stories

maxresdefault

Apple Shows Off a Key Reason to Upgrade to the iPhone 17

Saturday February 7, 2026 9:26 am PST by
Apple today shared an ad that shows how the upgraded Center Stage front camera on the latest iPhones improves the process of taking a group selfie. "Watch how the new front facing camera on iPhone 17 Pro takes group selfies that automatically expand and rotate as more people come into frame," says Apple. While the ad is focused on the iPhone 17 Pro and iPhone 17 Pro Max, the regular iPhone...
m5 macbook pro deal

Why You Shouldn't Buy the Next MacBook Pro

Tuesday February 10, 2026 4:27 pm PST by
Apple is planning to launch new MacBook Pro models as soon as early March, but if you can, this is one generation you should skip because there's something much better in the works. We're waiting on 14-inch and 16-inch MacBook Pro models with M5 Pro and M5 Max chips, with few changes other than the processor upgrade. There won't be any tweaks to the design or the display, but later this...
iOS 26

Apple Releases iOS 26.3 and iPadOS 26.3

Wednesday February 11, 2026 10:07 am PST by
Apple today released iOS 26.3 and iPadOS 26.3, the latest updates to the iOS 26 and iPadOS 26 operating systems that came out in September. The new software comes almost two months after Apple released iOS 26.2 and iPadOS 26.2. The new software can be downloaded on eligible iPhones and iPads over-the-air by going to Settings > General > Software Update. According to Apple's release notes, ...
apple wallet drivers license feature iPhone 15 pro

Apple Says These 7 U.S. States Plan to Offer iPhone Driver's Licenses

Monday February 9, 2026 6:24 am PST by
In select U.S. states, residents can add their driver's license or state ID to the Apple Wallet app on the iPhone and Apple Watch, and then use it to display proof of identity or age at select airports and businesses, and in select apps. The feature is currently available in 13 U.S. states and Puerto Rico, and it is expected to launch in at least seven more in the future. To set up the...
Apple Logo Zoomed

Apple Expected to Launch These 10+ Products Over the Coming Months

Tuesday February 10, 2026 6:33 am PST by
It has been a slow start to 2026 for Apple product launches, with only a new AirTag and a special Apple Watch band released so far. We are still waiting for MacBook Pro models with M5 Pro and M5 Max chips, the iPhone 17e, a lower-cost MacBook with an iPhone chip, long-rumored updates to the Apple TV and HomePod mini, and much more. Apple is expected to release/update the following products...

Top Rated Comments

macduke Avatar
103 months ago
My wife and I both have horrible fathers. If you're going to get a woman pregnant, you need to be prepared to put your life on hold. I couldn't imagine any scenario where I would abandon my daughter. Fathers who do this are *******s. There is no sugar coating it. We need to stop saying "But they're really successful, etc so it's okay." It is never okay. It is completely unacceptable, full stop.
Score: 39 Votes (Like | Disagree)
fuchsdh Avatar
103 months ago
Most brilliant minds are "cold, critical, and unpredictable." I'm glad they had a relationship later on as daughters need their fathers to show them how men should treat them.
I don't think that's necessarily true, it's just the image we're familiar with and thus what we notice. There are plenty of brilliant people out there who aren't jackasses or cold people inside, but that's not as newsworthy as the maverick genius stereotype.
Score: 20 Votes (Like | Disagree)
RichTF Avatar
103 months ago
My wife and I both have horrible fathers. If you're going to get a woman pregnant, you need to be prepared to put your life on hold. I couldn't imagine any scenario where I would abandon my daughter. Fathers who do this are *******s. There is no sugar coating it. We need to stop saying "But they're really successful, etc so it's okay." It is never okay. It is completely unacceptable, full stop.
I understand your emotions on this one, but as someone whose father was absent as a kid, I disagree. I’m glad I was raised by people who did so out of choice, than by someone who was coerced into being a dad out of a misplaced sense of “duty” or whatever. (And I think my dad’s a great guy, for what it’s worth)

People are complex, situations are complex, relationships are complex, lives are complex. Trying to hit everyone with simple “no exceptions” rules is not a recipe for a happy society.
Score: 14 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Joe Rossignol Avatar
103 months ago
My wife and I both have horrible fathers. If you're going to get a woman pregnant, you need to be prepared to put your life on hold. I couldn't imagine any scenario where I would abandon my daughter. Fathers who do this are *******s. There is no sugar coating it. We need to stop saying "But they're really successful, etc so it's okay." It is never okay. It is completely unacceptable, full stop.
I agree. Totally inexcusable.
Score: 12 Votes (Like | Disagree)
canny Avatar
103 months ago
Good to see Arab-Americans in positive news for a change.
Score: 10 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Kabeyun Avatar
103 months ago
Fine to sympathize with Lisa, although I don’t know if she’s looking for sympathy. But let’s not pile on with a character assassination of a man we’ve never met involving details we don’t know. Let he who is without sin cast the first stone.
Score: 8 Votes (Like | Disagree)