Lisa Brennan-Jobs to Publish Memoir of Her Childhood With Steve Jobs and Chrisann Brennan - MacRumorsOpen MenuShow RoundupsShow Forums menuVisit ForumsOpen Sidebar
Skip to Content

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

Apple Event Logo

Apple Working on All-New Operating System

Wednesday July 29, 2026 11:39 am PDT by
Apple is developing an all-new operating system that is essentially a mix of tvOS, watchOS, and iOS, according to Bloomberg's Mark Gurman. In a report this week, he said the operating system will feature a grid of icons, widgets, and apps, along with customizable clock faces. The new software platform is intended for Apple's long-rumored smart home hub. With built-in facial recognition,...
imac video apple feature

Apple Made Its Second-Biggest Acquisition Ever This Year

Wednesday July 29, 2026 12:03 pm PDT by
Apple this year acquired Israeli startup Q.ai for close to $2 billion, according to the Financial Times. That would make this Apple's second-biggest acquisition ever, after it paid $3 billion for the popular headphone maker Beats in 2014. This is also the largest known Apple acquisition since the company purchased Intel's smartphone modem business and patents for $1 billion in 2019. Q.ai...
Dynamic Island iPhone 18 Pro Feature

iPhone 18 Pro: Twelve Changes Coming to Apple's Next Flagship

Thursday July 30, 2026 3:43 am PDT by
We're less than two months out from the launch of Apple's premium next-generation smartphone lineup, and while we're not expecting a dramatic change in terms of functionality, there are still several enhancements rumored to be coming to the iPhone 18 Pro and iPhone 18 Pro Max. One thing worth noting is that Apple is reportedly planning a major change to its iPhone release cycle this year,...

Top Rated Comments

macduke Avatar
109 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
109 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
109 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
109 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
109 months ago
Good to see Arab-Americans in positive news for a change.
Score: 10 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Kabeyun Avatar
109 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)

🔗 Related Apple News & Rumors

Stay updated with the latest Apple ecosystem news and verified rumors