Tom Hanks’ daughter, Elizabeth Anne Hanks, known as E.A. Hanks, has released a memoir detailing her childhood and her journey to connect with her mother’s family. The book, titled "The 10: A Memoir of Family And The Open Road," explores her experiences growing up as the daughter of Samantha Lewes, who struggled with mental health issues.
In a recent excerpt shared with People, E.A. reflects on her challenging upbringing. She describes her parents’ marriage, which lasted from 1978 to 1987, and her memories of them together. E.A. notes that she has only a few memories of her parents in the same place, with the most notable being their graduations. She recalls a single photograph of herself standing between them, where her mother’s wig appears slightly askew.
E.A. was born in Burbank but moved to Sacramento with her mother after her parents divorced. She describes her time in Sacramento as filled with confusion and love. Her father, Tom Hanks, remarried Rita Wilson in 1988, and E.A. would visit them on weekends and during summers, experiencing a different lifestyle in a home with a pool and horse-themed decor.
As E.A. grew older, her mother’s mental health deteriorated. She describes a chaotic home environment, where neglect became evident. E.A. recounts how her mother’s emotional struggles turned physical one night, prompting her to move back to Los Angeles during her seventh-grade year.
Tragically, E.A.’s mother passed away from lung cancer in 2002 at the age of 49, when E.A. was just 19. In her memoir, E.A. shares her belief that her mother suffered from undiagnosed bipolar disorder, marked by episodes of paranoia and delusion.
E.A. Hanks’ memoir offers a candid look at her childhood and the impact of her mother’s struggles on her life. Through her writing, she seeks to understand her family history and the challenges she faced growing up.
