E.A. Hanks exposes her turbulent childhood with Tom Hanks' late wife

In a recent memoir titled 'The Ten: A Memoir of Family and the Open Road,' released in early April 2025, E.A. Hanks recounts her complicated childhood with her late mother, Susan Dillingham. The narrative takes place against the backdrop of California and the Southern United States during the late 1980s and early 2000s, reflecting on how her mother's struggles affected her upbringing. E.A. reflects on an incident from her childhood when she witnessed her father, Tom Hanks, display fear for the first time while searching for something in the tall grass, which left a lasting impression on her. The memoir details a six-month journey along Interstate 10 from California to Florida, where E.A. seeks to reconnect with her mother's roots and gain insight into her life prior to her death from lung cancer in 2002. E.A. believes her mother had undiagnosed bipolar disorder, which contributed to episodes of neglect and instability at home. The book illustrates a shift in custody arrangements, where E.A. and her brother, Colin Hanks, were only able to see their mother on weekends in response to her declining mental health. Throughout the memoir, E.A. incorporates her mother's poetry, aiming to portray her as an artist in her own right despite the chaos surrounding their lives. E.A. acknowledges the complexities of her mother's character, stating that she had both good and bad days and that her feelings for her mother remain protective. The narrative reflects on the lack of a language for mental health issues during that time, contrasting the understanding of addiction with the silence that surrounded mental illness. The memoir has touched those close to E.A., with both her father Tom and brother Colin being among the first to read it. Tom Hanks remarked on the accuracy of E.A.'s portrayal of their mother, indicating his recognition of the challenges they faced. This book provides not only a personal account of family dynamics, but also a broader reflection on mental health awareness, familial love, and the attempts to make sense of a complex upbringing steeped in both love and fear.