BUFFALO, N.Y. — Luke Russert wrote "Look For Me There: Grieving my Father, Finding Myself." He said it forced him to recount and reflect on painful moments.
"Before I even wrote out the journals, I actually wrote down the details of that day, which I had never done before, and part of the reason why I did that is I felt that it would be cathartic and it was," Russert told 2 On Your Side's Pete Gallivan.
The book is filled with amazing memories of his father. It also takes readers on a trip around the world. It was a trip of self-discovery.
The book has been a celebration of family since it was released this year.
He came to Buffalo for a book signing on May 7, his dad's birthday.
"It was just a celebration of the book, a celebration to my dad, but also celebration to Buffalo," he said.
It was also a celebration to his grandfather, Big Russ, the man his dad wrote about in a book called "Big Russ and Me."
Luke was at The Blackthorn Restaurant & Pub, a place he would go to in South Buffalo with his his grandfather. While there he said, "they brought out my grandfather's little silver shot glass, and I got to do a shot in honor of big Russ out of his shot glass, and that was the coolest, probably the coolest part of this entire process."
He believes his father would be proud of the book.
"I don't think he'd like everything, but that's what the difference is between generations, right? I think more so than anything is what one of his close friends reached out to me and said, 'You know, I don't think your dad could have ever written a book like that, because you know the Irish of South Buffalo are way more buttoned up, but he would certainly celebrate a book like yours, and I agree with that," Russert said.