Famous Parents and Their Children

It's hard having a famous parent. Even as you're living in the shadow of someone much more accomplished than yourself, you still have to contend with all the same public pressures of your illustrious ancestor. It doesn't help that people love talking about the strains of your relationship.

As a great example, Galileo's Daughter, despite the title, is less about the daughter and more about Galileo's scientific struggles. The book sets itself apart by using letters from the daughter, who was living in a convent, to shed light on Galileo's life and motivations.

When it comes to famous fathers and sons, it's hard to beat the Renoirs. The father was famed Impressionist painter Auguste Renoir, and the son was the equally renowned filmmaker Jean Renoir. The son's memoir, Renoir, My Father, is a touching account of their relationship. It also helped inform a quiet, subtle movie, appropriately titled Renoir.

But there's nothing like growing up as the daughter of Hollywood royalty. Most people know Carrie Fisher for her role in Star Wars, but she started life as the daughter of actress Debbie Reynolds. Carrie Fisher eventually found herself in the same crush of celebrity and drama that made her childhood troublesome, and she relates her various battles in the memoir Wishful Drinking.

So before you start wishing you were famous, remember to think of the children.