This is a well-written, if somewhat self-indulgent, memoir of E.A. Hanks, the daughter of mega-star Tom Hanks and a mentally ill woman. In this memoir, Hanks travels I-10 on the path she and her mother took decades before. It didn't quite work for me because of the self-indulgence and slow pace, but I think others will enjoy it.

This is going to be a challenging review to write as I'm not sure how to describe this book--it's a meaningful, sometimes heart-wrenching, thought-provoking journey of one woman driving across The 10 Highway in the United States.

E.A. (Elizabeth) Hanks had a challenging childhood--her parents divorced when she was young, her father is the mega-star Tom Hanks, and her mother had undiagnosed mental health issues. But Elizabeth loved both of her parents and they both loved her.

Twenty years after her mother's death, Elizabeth wanted to find out more about herself and her mother's past so she sets out in her trusted modified van "Minnie" with some of the journals, poems, and notes her mother left behind to travel The 10 highway--a route through the Southwest and South she and her mother took years ago eventually planning to end in the small town in Florida where her mother is from.

It's a personal journey through Hanks's thoughts and memories, but it is also a travel story through parts of the United States that also have complicated stories (most memorable for me was Hanks's visit to a Southern plantation and tribute to those killed by lynchings) and we learn about some of the smaller communities in the South and Southwest through Hanks's experiences and the people she meets.

It is a slow story and it is self-indulgent, but it's thoughtful and poetic and Hanks's style brings you in to her inner-most thoughts.

It's a beautiful book, but maybe not for everyone. (It's actually not my usual style choice either, but I was very much drawn to it.)

Book: The 10
Author: E.A. Hanks
Format: Digital
Genre: Nonfiction, Memoir, Travel/Road Trip
Places Featured: The 10 Highway, United States
Review Score: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Great read ! I thought I was picking up a memoir … I did; this is a memoir of sorts !
I thought I was picking up a travel log of her experience to discover who her mother was…
The author’s words : “ I’m reading a lot about travel myself. Is that what I’m doing ? Traveling? That sounds so pedestrian. I flatter myself that I’m on a journey, a quest “ …
but I got so much more. I learned so much from the various places the author visited, where she immersed herself in unique situations… Tombstone, AZ; Georgia O’Keefe; who new Bureau of Land Mgmt owns one out of every ten acres of land in the US ? She goes to great lengths to assist a pit bull lost in every way after his gangster master is gunned down ( days before she is in the picture); the origin of Santa Fe’s name; New Orleans sub culture; van life/ van camping; the list goes on…
And, nuggets of introspection like this :
“ The silence when you get back in the car alone after leaving a friend at the airport is particular “… Yes ! So true ! Another nugget of reflection, information, experience…

E.A. Hanks nailed it on this book. A rich, full, engaging reader experience…
Thank you NetGalley and Simon & Schuster for the ARC. These opinions are my own.

I wasn’t sure what to expect going into The 10, but it ended up being one of those books that really sticks with you. E.A. Hanks has a way of weaving together humor, heartache, and a bit of mystery that kept me turning pages late into the night. The characters are quirky and flawed, but that’s what makes them feel real and relatable. There’s a sense of raw honesty in the way they navigate their struggles and relationships, and it made me root for them even when they made questionable choices. The writing itself is sharp and clever, with just enough wit to balance out the more serious moments.

What really stood out to me was how Hanks handles themes of friendship and loyalty – it’s messy, complicated, and, at times, painfully honest. I found myself reflecting on my own relationships and how people come in and out of our lives, sometimes leaving more of an impact than we realize. If you’re into character-driven stories that make you think and feel in equal measure, this book is definitely worth picking up.

E.A, Hanks is the daughter of a celebrity, Tom Hanks, but also the daughter of a mentally ill woman. Growing up with her mother in Sacramento and with a woman who had undiagnosed bipolar disorder and schizophrenia and as a world away from the one her father lived in Los Angeles. At 14 E.A. moved in with her father full time, but spent 2 weeks in a Winnebago with her mother traveling across the country. Tragedy struck in 2001 when E.A.’s mother died of lung cancer, and left a lot of mysteries in her wake. In order to re-create this trip, Hanks gets a van, a journal from her late mother, and a wish to find out who her mother was, and to learn more about her extended family. This memoir was heartbreaking in many ways, and you just want to save small Elizabeth from her abusive and neglectful home. But wanting to learn more about the woman who raised her, and to come to terms with her childhood is a journey you should follow with her. She’s a talented writer, and I hope to read more from her.