Small Fry - Book Review

I remember seeing the movie Steve Jobs back in 2015 and thinking that the way Steve treated his ex-girlfriend and daughter was not the greatest. But the movie didn't solely focus on that relationship, so if you want to know more, Steve's daughter has written a memoir of her childhood.

Lisa Brennan-Jobs' memoir Small Fry recounts her time spent going back and forth between her mother, who struggled to make ends meet, and her father, who had more than enough money to spend but often didn't spend it on his daughter. It's a strange dynamic that puts an innocent child in the middle. Lisa wants to please both parents, but she finds that it's hard to have it both ways.

There are good times that are really good, and then there are bad times, such as when Steve stops paying her college tuition and she has to ask neighbors for help. Her relationships with her parents are probably not the norm for most of us, but I do think that this book would open up good discussion about the general nature of parent-child relationships, especially in a book club setting. This memoir was presented to me at BookExpo as a good book club pick, but even if you don't read it as part of a book club, you'll want someone else to read it at the same time so you can talk about it after!

Don't think that the book is all about Steve Jobs. It's not. There are parts where he doesn't appear for awhile because it's just Lisa and her mom. So if you're looking for a Steve Jobs book, then this might not be the one for you. But if you're looking for a non-fiction book that explores interesting dynamics between parents and children, and that gives some personal insights into what Steve Jobs was like outside of Apple, then you'll enjoy this book.

Small Fry is published by Grove Press and is on bookstore shelves now. I received a free advance review copy at BookExp.