LAKEWOOD, Ohio — Driven to find strength through the power of family love while on a terrifying journey, Tiffany Graham Charkosky on Oct. 21 releases her debut memoir, “Living Proof: How Love Defied Genetic Legacy.”
It’s not a coincidence that the timing of the Lakewood author’s book release is tied to National Hereditary Cancer Awareness Week (Sept. 29-Oct. 5).
“I discovered about 13 years ago that my family carried a genetic mutation called Lynch syndrome,” said Charkosky, who grew up in Lakewood before moving to Lorain County and graduating from Keystone High School in 2000. “My mom died of colon cancer when I was 11.
“For most of my life, I just sort of chalked that up to bad luck — like a thing that happened in my past, but I had survived and grown stronger. Then I learned that it was not only a thing that was in my past, but was a thing that my family could continue facing in the future, through this being one of the hereditary cancer mutations.”
Tiffany Graham Charkosky is releasing her debut memoir, “Living Proof: How Love Defied Genetic Legacy.” (Courtesy of Little A)Courtesy of Little A
It was around a decade ago, Charkosky, who studied English and creative writing at Kenyon College and holds a master’s degree in urban planning, design and development from Cleveland State University, began conceiving the idea of what would become “Living Proof: How Love Defied Genetic Legacy.”
After shopping the manuscript in 2024, she found an agent who led to getting a book deal with Amazon Publishing imprint Little A exactly a year ago this month.
“‘Living Proof’ chronicles my journey of deciding whether to undergo genetic testing, what that process looks like and then sort of what the emotional and physical aftermath is of learning that I did inherit the genetic mutation that my mother had and that my uncle had — who also passed away from it,” she said.
“Which is how he learned that the mutation existed. When I was going through my testing process and evaluating all of the options in front of me, I realized back in 2011, I couldn’t find the book that I needed to read was when this was all happening.”
Over the last two decades, Charkosky worked at the intersection of arts and urban planning — first at LAND studio and most recently as Director of Arts & Culture for Cleveland Public Library — helping artists across mediums implement projects in public spaces throughout Cleveland.
Now she’s hoping to help another segment of society.
“There have been books that have been written along the way, so this is not the only book of its kind to explore genetic testing and hereditary cancers, but I’m hoping to be able to add my story to this world,” she said.
“That we’re looking at how we are making sense of genetic information and living great lives in spite of not having the best genes.”
The author is also planning a book release party from 7 to 9 p.m. Oct. 23 at the BottleHouse Brewery & Meadery in Lakewood.
As for what her mother would think about her debut memoir, Charkosky didn’t hesitate.
“She was a really optimistic person who would be happy to know that we are doing what we can to help other families not go through the same losses,” she said.
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