The Emmy Award–winning journalist will offer an exploration of finding oneself and one’s place in the world in the face of crushing expectations and grief.
Look for Me There: Grieving My Father, Finding Myself
“Look for me there,” news legend Tim Russert would tell his son, Luke, when confirming a pickup spot at an airport, sporting event, or rock concert. After Tim died unexpectedly, Luke kept looking for his father, following in Tim’s footsteps and carving out a highly successful career at NBC News. After eight years covering politics on television, Luke realized he had no good answer as to why he was chasing his father’s legacy. As the son of two accomplished parents—his mother is journalist Maureen Orth of Vanity Fair—Luke felt the pressure of high expectations but suddenly decided to leave the familiar path behind.
Instead, Luke set out on his own to find answers. “I reached a crossroads in my early thirties where I felt empty and unfulfilled. I wanted to know why, so I set out into the world, hoping to feel something,” Russert said.
What began as several open-ended months of travel to decompress and reassess morphed into a three-plus-year odyssey across six continents to discover the world and, ultimately, to find himself. “The reward of travel was that it made me much more aware of my surroundings—the beauty of nature, the weight of history, and the common good of the larger human family,” said Russert. “It also forced out some hard truths about losing my dad, my relationship with my mom, grief, inadequacy, and ignorance.”
“There are times as a publisher that I’m fortunate enough to receive a page-turning memoir from an author who is equally nuanced and impactful. This is that book and Luke is that author. I can’t wait for the world to experience his story,” said Matt Baugher, publisher of Harper Horizon. The book has also received early industry praise with TODAY co-anchor Savannah Guthrie adding, “In Look for Me There, Luke Russert traverses terrain both physical and deeply personal. On his journey to some of the world’s most stunning destinations, he visits the internal places of grief, family, faith, ambition, and purpose—with intense self-reflection, honesty, and courage.”
Look for Me There is both the vivid narrative of that journey and the emotional story of a young man taking charge of his life, reexamining his relationship with his parents, and finally grieving his larger-than-life father, who died too young. “This book shows the power of vulnerability. It’s something I felt and saw everywhere I went. Whether through faith or just a meaningful moment, when I became more vulnerable things became clearer,” Russert said.
For anyone uncertain about the direction of their life or unsure of how to move forward after a loss, Look for Me There is a poignant reflection that offers encouragement to examine our choices, take risks, and discover our truest selves.
Look For Me There will be available in hardcover, ebook, and audiobook with Russert narrating. You can pre-order today at https://www.harpercollinsfocus.com/lookformethere
About Luke Russert:
Luke Orth Russert is an Emmy Award–winning journalist who was an NBC News correspondent from 2008 to 2016, primarily covering American politics. Since leaving broadcast journalism, he is the author of Look for Me There, a travel memoir about his three-and-a-half-year journey around the world that took him to more than sixty-five countries. Based in Washington, DC, he is the son of journalists Maureen Orth (Vanity Fair) and the late Tim Russert (NBC’s Meet the Press).
