Growing up as the daughter of the most beloved man in America sounds like a dream. We imagine the Oscars, the private jets, and the general "niceness" that follows Tom Hanks everywhere. But then Elizabeth Ann Hanks—or E.A. Hanks, as she writes professionally—dropped a book that felt less like a celebrity flex and more like a gut punch.
The memoir is called The 10: A Memoir of Family and the Open Road. Honestly, if you went in expecting fluffy stories about the set of Toy Story, you’d be disappointed. Instead, it’s a raw, sometimes terrifying look at a childhood spent in the shadow of "catastrophic fame" and the very real presence of domestic instability.
It isn't just about being a "nepo baby." It's about a girl in Sacramento watching her world fall apart while her dad becomes a global icon.
What Most People Get Wrong About the Hanks Family Dynamic
People forget that before Rita Wilson, there was Susan Dillingham (known professionally as Samantha Lewes). She was Tom’s college sweetheart. They had two kids, Colin and Elizabeth, before they were even thirty.
When the divorce happened in 1985, the narrative most of us saw was the meteoric rise of "America's Dad." But E.A. Hanks paints a different picture. She describes herself as a "kid from the first (non-famous) marriage." While Tom was establishing a "beachhead" in Hollywood, Elizabeth was a "Sacramento girl" living in a house that was slowly descending into chaos.
The "Catastrophic Fame" Factor
Hanks uses the word "catastrophic" to describe her father’s fame. Not because she hates him—she clearly doesn't—but because of what it did to her mother.
Susan Dillingham was an aspiring actress who, according to the memoir, never recovered from her ex-husband’s success. In the book, Elizabeth notes that her mother felt "obliterated" by his stature. It’s a heavy concept. Imagine trying to find your footing as an artist while your ex is literally winning back-to-back Oscars.
The Reality of the "White House with Columns"
The most jarring parts of The 10: A Memoir of Family and the Open Road involve the physical conditions Elizabeth endured. She describes a house in Sacramento that started out looking like suburban perfection. White columns. A pool. Horse posters on the walls.
Then the shift happened.
- The backyard became so full of dog waste you couldn't walk in it.
- The house constantly smelled of smoke.
- The fridge was usually empty or stocked with expired food.
- Her mother spent more and more time in a four-poster bed, obsessively reading the Bible.
It’s a stark contrast to the polished image we have of the Hanks family. E.A. mentions that her mother likely suffered from undiagnosed bipolar disorder, marked by paranoia and delusions. At one point, Elizabeth recalls her father coming to pick her up from school, only to find she and Colin hadn't been there for two weeks. Their mother had simply moved them without telling him. He had to track them down.
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When Emotional Violence Becomes Physical
Elizabeth is incredibly brave about the "Rubicon" she crossed at age 14. For years, there was "emotional violence"—a term she uses to describe the volatile atmosphere at home. But one night, it turned physical.
That was the turning point.
She explains that in late-80s California, family law was rigid. You needed "receipts" of physical abuse to change custody. Once that physical line was crossed, she finally moved to Los Angeles to live with Tom and Rita Wilson.
The Road Trip: Retracing the Trauma
The "10" in the title refers to Interstate 10. In 2019, Elizabeth took a solo road trip in a minivan she borrowed from her dad (whom she affectionately calls "Minnie"). She drove from L.A. to Palatka, Florida.
Why Florida? That’s where her mother’s family was from.
She was retracing a journey she took with her mother back in 1996. It’s a literal and metaphorical search for answers about a woman who died of cancer in 2002. Elizabeth even digs into a dark family legend found in her mother’s journals—a claim that her maternal grandfather might have been involved in a horrific crime.
It’s heavy stuff. It's not a beach read.
How Tom Hanks Reacted to the Book
Surprisingly, or maybe not if you know Tom, he didn't try to shut it down. He didn't call his lawyers. In fact, he was one of the first people to read it.
On the red carpet for The Phoenician Scheme in 2025, Tom called his daughter a "knockout" and a "bold journalistic literary mind." He admitted that "we all come from checkered, cracked lives."
He didn't dispute her account of the neglect or the violence. He basically validated it. He told her, "This is an accurate portrayal of what it was to love and fear this woman."
Why This Memoir Actually Matters in 2026
We are currently obsessed with "nepo babies," but E.A. Hanks adds a layer of nuance that’s usually missing. She acknowledges the privilege—she has the "copyrighted last name"—but she also shows the cost.
She speaks warmly of Rita Wilson, calling her "my other mother." She describes her half-brothers, Chet and Truman, as part of her "posse." But she doesn't pretend their upbringings were the same. Chet and Truman grew up after the "beachhead" was established. They didn't have the "Sacramento years."
Takeaways for the Reader
If you're picking up this book, don't look for gossip. Look for:
- The Language of Mental Health: Elizabeth talks about how she had words for "addiction" as a kid (her mom hosted 12-step meetings), but no words for "mental illness." She uses this book to create that language.
- The Impact of Place: The book is as much a travelog as a memoir. It shows how the geography of our childhood shapes our identity.
- The Complexity of Grief: You can love someone and be terrified of them at the same time. Elizabeth manages to hold both truths about her mother.
Next Steps for You: If you want to understand the full context of the "first family" of Hollywood, you should check out Elizabeth’s earlier essays in Vanity Fair or her contribution to the Lady Bird screenplay book. They provide the breadcrumbs that led to this memoir. You can also find her 2025 interview on CBS Mornings where she talks extensively about the "meat grinder of mental illness." It’s worth the watch.