--- product_id: 130623482 title: "Small Fry: A Memoir" price: "£19.68" currency: GBP in_stock: true reviews_count: 13 url: https://www.desertcart.co.uk/products/130623482-small-fry-a-memoir store_origin: GB region: United Kingdom --- # Small Fry: A Memoir **Price:** £19.68 **Availability:** ✅ In Stock ## Quick Answers - **What is this?** Small Fry: A Memoir - **How much does it cost?** £19.68 with free shipping - **Is it available?** Yes, in stock and ready to ship - **Where can I buy it?** [www.desertcart.co.uk](https://www.desertcart.co.uk/products/130623482-small-fry-a-memoir) ## Best For - Customers looking for quality international products ## Why This Product - Free international shipping included - Worldwide delivery with tracking - 15-day hassle-free returns ## Description A NEW YORK TIMES AND NEW YORKER TOP 10 BOOK OF THE YEAR “Beautiful, literary, and devastating.”— New York Times Book Review • “Revelatory.”— Entertainment Weekly • “A masterly Silicon Valley gothic.”— Vogue •“Mesmerizing, discomfiting reading… A book of no small literary skill.”— New Yorker • “Extraordinary… An aching, exquisitely told story.”— People • “The sleeper critical hit of the season.”— Vulture A BEST BOOK OF THE YEAR FOR NPR, desertcart, GQ , VOGUE (UK), BUSTLE, PUBLISHERS WEEKLY, AND INDIGO Born on a farm and named in a field by her parents―artist Chrisann Brennan and Steve Jobs―Lisa Brennan-Jobs’s childhood unfolded in a rapidly changing Silicon Valley. 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. Part portrait of a complex family, part love letter to California in the seventies and eighties, Small Fry is a poignant coming-of-age story from one of our most exciting new literary voices. Praise for Small Fry “An intimate, richly drawn portrait… The reader of this exquisite memoir is left with a loving, forgiving remembrance and the lasting impression of a resilient, kindhearted and wise woman who is at peace with her past.”— San Francisco Chronicle “A heartbreaking memoir, beautifully rendered…It’s a love story for the father that she had, flaws and all… A wise, thoughtful, and ultimately loving portrayal of her father.”— Seattle Times Review: A Poignant Emotional Journey with some Baggage - Lisa Brennan-Jobs is a good writer: quick-witted, poignant, and observational. Her style reminds me of her aunt’s (Mona Simpson) novels. This is no surprise, since she mentions her in Small Fry as an inspiration. Also of note, is that her aunt has written a fictionalized account of the same period in Lisa’s life as is largely covered by Small Fry. I read that novel, A Regular Guy, when I was a teenager. In fact, I’ve been reading books about Steve Jobs for about two decades now. Like many readers, Steve Jobs is the reason I picked up Small Fry, but Lisa’s journey resonated with me almost as much as the moments about her father. When you become interested in a historical figure and start watching and reading about them, there’s a cast of characters—their family, their friends—that you’re introduced to along the way. My first exposure to Lisa came through the 1999 film Pirates of Silicon Valley, in which the story of her relationship with her father plays prominently. By the time I had read The Second Coming of Steve Jobs by Alan Deutschman the following year, to me she was an important sidenote—his initial denial of paternity of her following her birth, a significant blemish, for an otherwise heroic figure. The deeper you go in a canon (and there is a Steve Jobs canon—at least fifteen books), the more you become interested in those peripheral characters. And somewhere along the way I became interested in Lisa’s story. Lisa’s story is intertwined with that of her mother, Chrisann Brennan, Jobs’s high school girlfriend, first love, and financial dependent for a large portion of Lisa’s life. She wrote a memoir a few years ago, The Bite in the Apple. So, in actuality we have three books—A Regular Guy, The Bite in the Apple, and Little Fry—which overlap very significantly in the period and relationships that they capture. Each comes from a different perspective, and I think it was likely important to Lisa that she recapture her own narrative through this memoir. It’s not only a chance to correct the record, but also can provide some kind of closure. Ostensibly this is more than a memoir about her relationship with her father. It’s a memoir about growing up with that as a backdrop, but I frankly found the first half of the book pretty slow. That’s probably because there’s less of her father in the first half, and the parts with her father were the parts that interested me the most. Lisa has a tendency to write about events that occurred to her 30 years+ ago in great levels of detail. Levels of detail so great (exact words, imagery, and small happenings) that one has to conclude she either has a photographic memory, or is remembering things in the most dramatic way to suit her narrative. The Bite in the Apple also suffers from this flaw—overly exact ancient memories that cause the reader to question the veracity of their content. It is of course possible that both mother and daughter have incredible memories, but it’s also possible that there’s a little bit of dramatic license in their accounts. Small Fry is emotionally powerful. The story is dramatic enough that even readers more interested in Lisa’s emotional journey than Steve Jobs will get something out of it. Ultimately, as most memoirs by definition tend to be, it’s also one-sided. The low points with her father seem awful, and the high points seem agreeable and fascinating but dulled. Mona Simpson and Laurene Powell Jobs (Steve Jobs’s widow) have put out a statement questioning Lisa’s harsh treatment of her father. I think, in wanting to recapture her narrative, Lisa did have something of an agenda in writing this book, even if she’s not willing to admit it to herself in its pages. However, that doesn’t mean it’s not a good book, that doesn’t take you on a meaningful emotional journey, and further develop your understanding of Steve Jobs. Review: Good Reading for Single Moms and Absentee Dads - Today it is common knowledge that the first three years of a child's life are critical years of development. The author had no contact with her father during those years since her parents never married - so her emotional outlook was exclusively shaped by her (bi-polar?) mother. I found the book interesting because her mother had written a demand letter to Jobs for $25 million - an amount which she felt was "fair" for raising Lisa - and had already penned and released her own version of their collective history (The Bite In The Apple). In Small Fry, Lisa adds her own voice to her mother's neediness for money. Apparently whatever Steve gave them wasn't enough in their own minds - and mother-daughter had no inclination to save and burned through money. Steve recoiled from anyone who he perceived was trying to manipulate him for cash - like most wealthy people - and the constant demands sadly emotionally estranged him - to his own detriment as well as the rest of the family. Love and financial responsibility go hand in hand - and at the end he had sincere regrets. And admitted that he "owed" Lisa... not sure how much money she inherited - or if she in turn financially supports her mother today - but it obviously wasn't enough. And although the book has touching moments, it is hard to visit the editorial choices made without thinking this was an exercise in revenge and literary passive-aggression. Lisa certainly has every right to feel shortchanged by both parents and airs her own perspective, adding incidents that justify her viewpoint. I feel sad that Steve's personal privacy - once more - will be public fodder. He was a complex person, but he is dead now. I kept wondering (since he reportedly left Lisa a multi-million dollar inheritance) if she has already burned through it - along with her mother - and this book is another way to get whatever Steve "owed" them by cashing in on his famous name. Every single mother - and absentee father - should read this book, to understand the child's perspective on being juggled between two parents/two worlds. It is relevant and eye opening. Good lesson about family dynamics and child support. If you want to read about Steve Jobs "Becoming Steve Jobs" is by far the best book I've read about him to date. If you want a cautionary and thought provoking lesson in providing child support and navigating custody and raising kids - this is a good read. Well written. As a single mother myself, I felt for Lisa and her mom - however as someone who knew Jobs through the 1980's and was a start up female entrepreneur (thanks to Jimmy Carter who started an SBA program providing start up loans to women), I also have more compassion for his flaws and personal privacy. He had a lot on his plate and I was glad that Lisa remembered some good times that he shared with her and captured his rare electric charisma. Sad story, but a cautionary tale for all single parents - and certainly worth reading. ## Technical Specifications | Specification | Value | |---------------|-------| | Best Sellers Rank | #170,757 in Books ( See Top 100 in Books ) #247 in Rich & Famous Biographies #1,519 in Memoirs (Books) | | Customer Reviews | 4.3 out of 5 stars 5,516 Reviews | ## Images ![Small Fry: A Memoir - Image 1](https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/81sx-g0VA4L.jpg) ## Customer Reviews ### ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ A Poignant Emotional Journey with some Baggage *by D***C on September 9, 2018* Lisa Brennan-Jobs is a good writer: quick-witted, poignant, and observational. Her style reminds me of her aunt’s (Mona Simpson) novels. This is no surprise, since she mentions her in Small Fry as an inspiration. Also of note, is that her aunt has written a fictionalized account of the same period in Lisa’s life as is largely covered by Small Fry. I read that novel, A Regular Guy, when I was a teenager. In fact, I’ve been reading books about Steve Jobs for about two decades now. Like many readers, Steve Jobs is the reason I picked up Small Fry, but Lisa’s journey resonated with me almost as much as the moments about her father. When you become interested in a historical figure and start watching and reading about them, there’s a cast of characters—their family, their friends—that you’re introduced to along the way. My first exposure to Lisa came through the 1999 film Pirates of Silicon Valley, in which the story of her relationship with her father plays prominently. By the time I had read The Second Coming of Steve Jobs by Alan Deutschman the following year, to me she was an important sidenote—his initial denial of paternity of her following her birth, a significant blemish, for an otherwise heroic figure. The deeper you go in a canon (and there is a Steve Jobs canon—at least fifteen books), the more you become interested in those peripheral characters. And somewhere along the way I became interested in Lisa’s story. Lisa’s story is intertwined with that of her mother, Chrisann Brennan, Jobs’s high school girlfriend, first love, and financial dependent for a large portion of Lisa’s life. She wrote a memoir a few years ago, The Bite in the Apple. So, in actuality we have three books—A Regular Guy, The Bite in the Apple, and Little Fry—which overlap very significantly in the period and relationships that they capture. Each comes from a different perspective, and I think it was likely important to Lisa that she recapture her own narrative through this memoir. It’s not only a chance to correct the record, but also can provide some kind of closure. Ostensibly this is more than a memoir about her relationship with her father. It’s a memoir about growing up with that as a backdrop, but I frankly found the first half of the book pretty slow. That’s probably because there’s less of her father in the first half, and the parts with her father were the parts that interested me the most. Lisa has a tendency to write about events that occurred to her 30 years+ ago in great levels of detail. Levels of detail so great (exact words, imagery, and small happenings) that one has to conclude she either has a photographic memory, or is remembering things in the most dramatic way to suit her narrative. The Bite in the Apple also suffers from this flaw—overly exact ancient memories that cause the reader to question the veracity of their content. It is of course possible that both mother and daughter have incredible memories, but it’s also possible that there’s a little bit of dramatic license in their accounts. Small Fry is emotionally powerful. The story is dramatic enough that even readers more interested in Lisa’s emotional journey than Steve Jobs will get something out of it. Ultimately, as most memoirs by definition tend to be, it’s also one-sided. The low points with her father seem awful, and the high points seem agreeable and fascinating but dulled. Mona Simpson and Laurene Powell Jobs (Steve Jobs’s widow) have put out a statement questioning Lisa’s harsh treatment of her father. I think, in wanting to recapture her narrative, Lisa did have something of an agenda in writing this book, even if she’s not willing to admit it to herself in its pages. However, that doesn’t mean it’s not a good book, that doesn’t take you on a meaningful emotional journey, and further develop your understanding of Steve Jobs. ### ⭐⭐⭐⭐ Good Reading for Single Moms and Absentee Dads *by B***R on September 10, 2018* Today it is common knowledge that the first three years of a child's life are critical years of development. The author had no contact with her father during those years since her parents never married - so her emotional outlook was exclusively shaped by her (bi-polar?) mother. I found the book interesting because her mother had written a demand letter to Jobs for $25 million - an amount which she felt was "fair" for raising Lisa - and had already penned and released her own version of their collective history (The Bite In The Apple). In Small Fry, Lisa adds her own voice to her mother's neediness for money. Apparently whatever Steve gave them wasn't enough in their own minds - and mother-daughter had no inclination to save and burned through money. Steve recoiled from anyone who he perceived was trying to manipulate him for cash - like most wealthy people - and the constant demands sadly emotionally estranged him - to his own detriment as well as the rest of the family. Love and financial responsibility go hand in hand - and at the end he had sincere regrets. And admitted that he "owed" Lisa... not sure how much money she inherited - or if she in turn financially supports her mother today - but it obviously wasn't enough. And although the book has touching moments, it is hard to visit the editorial choices made without thinking this was an exercise in revenge and literary passive-aggression. Lisa certainly has every right to feel shortchanged by both parents and airs her own perspective, adding incidents that justify her viewpoint. I feel sad that Steve's personal privacy - once more - will be public fodder. He was a complex person, but he is dead now. I kept wondering (since he reportedly left Lisa a multi-million dollar inheritance) if she has already burned through it - along with her mother - and this book is another way to get whatever Steve "owed" them by cashing in on his famous name. Every single mother - and absentee father - should read this book, to understand the child's perspective on being juggled between two parents/two worlds. It is relevant and eye opening. Good lesson about family dynamics and child support. If you want to read about Steve Jobs "Becoming Steve Jobs" is by far the best book I've read about him to date. If you want a cautionary and thought provoking lesson in providing child support and navigating custody and raising kids - this is a good read. Well written. As a single mother myself, I felt for Lisa and her mom - however as someone who knew Jobs through the 1980's and was a start up female entrepreneur (thanks to Jimmy Carter who started an SBA program providing start up loans to women), I also have more compassion for his flaws and personal privacy. He had a lot on his plate and I was glad that Lisa remembered some good times that he shared with her and captured his rare electric charisma. Sad story, but a cautionary tale for all single parents - and certainly worth reading. ### ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Superlative coming-of-age tale *by J***G on September 17, 2018* Living in Palo Alto in the 1980s, we often heard rumors that Steve had a daughter named Lisa for whom the computer was named. No one seemed to know whether this was a true story or an urban legend, and certainly none of us realized that Lisa and her mom lived among us -- going out for dinner to the Good Earth, shopping at Units, cruising down University Avenue. Meanwhile, especially after Steve and Laurene married and more kids came along, we often ran into them: getting dessert at Gelato Classico, buying gifts at Palo Alto Toy & Sport, even roller skating along Homer near Whole Foods. Whatever else we thought about Steve, he seemed like a devoted dad. Except he wasn't. Lots of people are raised by substandard parents. You don't get to choose your mom and dad. For many of us, recovery can take decades or maybe even never. But Lisa, to her unending credit, is able to tell a story that radiates affection despite describing neglect that borders on abuse. She walks us through her childhood and teen years with unstinting candor, including a number of anecdotes that highlight her own missteps. The most affecting scenes are the mother-daughter stories. Chris doesn't seem like a candidate for Mom of the Year, as she leaves Lisa by herself as a young child, brings home a series of boyfriends, moves from house to house, and often loses her temper. But because we see her through Lisa's eyes, our takeaway is the shared adoration between mother and child, and we understand that for all her foibles, Chris fought to give her daughter the best possible life. And in many ways her efforts were stymied rather than supported by the fact that Steve overshadowed their lives, even during the years that he remained detached from them. Lisa is an artist, and her writing is the verbal equivalent of a painting, every detail sharply rendered. For that reason alone, this book is worth a reader's attention. Years ago I read an autobiography written by a poet whose narrative resonated like a poem; Small Fry hits that same note and sustains it. If not for her famous father, her book probably would never have been published, and that would have been a loss to all of us. ## Frequently Bought Together - Small Fry: A Memoir - Arrow Dreyer’s English: An Utterly Correct Guide to Clarity and Style: The UK Edition --- ## Why Shop on Desertcart? - 🛒 **Trusted by 1.3+ Million Shoppers** — Serving international shoppers since 2016 - 🌍 **Shop Globally** — Access 737+ million products across 21 categories - 💰 **No Hidden Fees** — All customs, duties, and taxes included in the price - 🔄 **15-Day Free Returns** — Hassle-free returns (30 days for PRO members) - 🔒 **Secure Payments** — Trusted payment options with buyer protection - ⭐ **TrustPilot Rated 4.5/5** — Based on 8,000+ happy customer reviews **Shop now:** [https://www.desertcart.co.uk/products/130623482-small-fry-a-memoir](https://www.desertcart.co.uk/products/130623482-small-fry-a-memoir) --- *Product available on Desertcart United Kingdom* *Store origin: GB* *Last updated: 2026-07-22*