Early bird tickets will be available from July 7th through July 31st!
Please join us for a conversation on resilience, identity, and the power of storytelling with Kareem Rosser, author of When You're Ready: A Love Story, and Mark Bowden, author of Black Hawk Down. Kareem and Mark will be joined by a representative from the Bryn Mawr Rehab Hospital team to discuss therapy and its power to heal.
Kennett Library is honored to host acclaimed author, philanthropist, and national polo champion Kareem Rosser as he shares insights from his powerful new memoir, When You’re Ready: A Love Story. Honest and captivating, this narrative honors love in all its forms—first love, parental love, renewed love, and, most importantly, self-love. With resonant themes of unresolved loss, second chances, and emotional resilience, Kareem’s story will tug at your heartstrings and uplift your soul.
At just 23, Kareem's life was forever changed when a tragic accident left his first love, Lee Lee Jones, permanently incapacitated. Thrust into the unexpected role of caregiver, he found himself mourning not only her suffering but also the shared future they had envisioned. Through deeply personal storytelling, When You’re Ready: A Love Story explores caregiving, identity, grief, and healing, offering readers a moving reflection on how we care for others—and ourselves—after life-altering loss.
Kareem often talks about how therapy—once an unfamiliar form of self-care—gave him the vocabulary to understand and articulate his emotions. One concept he frequently explores is ambiguous grief—a type of grief that arises when a loss lacks clear definition or closure, such as in cases of traumatic brain injury, Alzheimer’s, or missing persons. For Kareem, learning this term helped him reframe the complex emotions he faced after Lee Lee’s accident and empowered him to process his pain more openly.
This topic resonates deeply with audiences of all ages and backgrounds. Many people live with ambiguous grief, and Kareem’s openness creates space for meaningful conversations around mental health, emotional well-being, and the silent burdens we often carry. His insights are especially poignant for young men of color navigating the pressure to appear strong while quietly struggling with emotional complexity.
Following his celebrated debut, Crossing the Line, Kareem’s second book continues his mission to spark dialogue around resilience, vulnerability, and healing. He rose from one of Philadelphia’s most underserved neighborhoods to become a changemaker and advocate for youth, and his journey continues to inspire.
Event Details
The evening will begin with a cocktail reception on the terrace with Kareem Rosser, followed by a captivating panel discussion in the auditorium, and conclude with a book signing featuring Kareem.
5:30 pm - Cocktail reception on the terrace with Kareem Rosser (available with all-inclusive ticket purchase only!)
6:30 pm - Panel discussion with Kareem Rosser, Mark Bowden, and a representative from the Bryn Mawr Rehab Hospital team
7:30 pm - Book signing from the author (the book, When You're Ready: A Love Story, is included in the price of the all-inclusive ticket)
20% of the proceeds will support the Lee Lee Jones Patient Assistance Endowment Fund at Bryn Mawr Rehab Hospital. The remainder benefits programs and operations at Kennett Library.
About Kareem Rosser
Kareem Rosser: Polo Champion, Author, and Advocate
Kareem Rosser is an award-winning polo champion, author, philanthropist, Breeders’ Cup Ambassador, and former Ralph Lauren model. His memoirs, Crossing the Line and When You’re Ready: A Love Story, chart his extraordinary journey from childhood in Philadelphia’s Bottom neighborhood to becoming a trailblazer in the world of polo.
In Crossing the Line, Kareem shared the story of how he overcame violence and loss in his early years, finding a life-changing opportunity through the Work to Ride polo program, where he led the first-ever African American polo team to win the National Interscholastic Polo Championship. Kareem’s latest memoir, When You’re Ready (released February 2025), offers an intimate and raw exploration of his life after a life-altering accident. He delves deeply into themes of grief, the pressures of overachievement, and the emotional toll of pushing forward without the opportunity to heal.
Beyond his literary accomplishments, Kareem has remained committed to giving back to the community. He currently serves as Executive Vice President of Work to Ride, where he has raised over $15 million for the program, providing scholarships and opportunities for lower-income children. A co-founder of the Philadelphia Polo Classic, a board member of the Bryn Mawr Rehab Hospital, and founder of the Lee Lee Jones Patient Assistance Endowment Fund, his passion for diversity in polo and his advocacy for underserved communities continue to shape his work.
A true champion both on and off the field, Kareem Rosser lives with his family in Philadelphia.
About Mark Bowden
Mark Bowden is an American journalist and writer. He is a former national correspondent and longtime contributor to The Atlantic. Bowden is best known for his book Black Hawk Down: A Story of Modern War (1999) about the 1993 U.S. military raid in Mogadishu, which was later adapted into a motion picture of the same name that received two Academy Awards.
Event photo: Kareem Rosser for Ralph Lauren Polo, photo by Sharia Hamza
Thank you to our generous sponsors!
Presenting Sponsors: Brandywine Polo Club & Landhope Farms
