Corked: A Memoir [Paperback]

"Borel has talent and charm to spare, a literary wunderkind in the making."
—Quill & Quire

"The end result, not unlike drinking good wine, is entertaining and just a bit intoxicating."
—National Post

"Some readers may shy away from Borel's openness, but this book is unique precisely because it is Borel."
—Globe and Mail 

"With biting humour, unparalleled narcissism and tremendous heart, Kathryn Borel visits French wine country with her eccentric father Philippe to learn more about his unbridled passion. Among the revelations of their two-week sojourn are a personal tragedy and her father's deepest, darkest secret. Corked is Canada's funniest debut of the year; Borel is non-fiction's new, boozy superstar."
—Eye Weekly

"In her debut memoir, Borel unpacks a tragicomic father-daughter drink-fest through the finest French vineyards."
—Marie Claire

"Every now and again, a remarkable autobiographical tale manages to reaffirm even the most cynical reader's faith in the power of sharing deeply personal stories. Corked, a memoir by Toronto writer Kathryn Borel Jr., is one of those books."
—CBC.ca

"Borel deftly captures the confusing emotions that surround parent-child relationships. A fast-paced read with nuggets of wine trivia that will appeal to anyone who has struggled to understand their parents."
—Kirkus Reviews

"Refreshingly unsentimental, grounded. . .in flashes of candor and humor."
—Publishers Weekly

"Borel writes with plenty of humor as her father's absurd perfectionism gives birth to many dramatically charged encounters with natives as the pair progresses about the French countryside."
—Booklist

“I have some trouble with empathic embarrassment. Improv, live comedy, gymnastics, figure skating, awards shows—this is just a short list of things that result in a screaming pain through the centre of my hands. It’s always worth it in the end, the jubilation and intense relief of seeing the person emerge safely on the other side, if not entirely unscathed. The point being, I’m surprised I could even hold this book. And yet, I can’t stop talking about it.”
—The Mark (themarknews.com)

"Kathryn Borel has written a funny, quirky, bittersweet memoir full of wry wisdom on the subjects of wine, grief, memory, France and family."
—Jay McInerney, New York Times bestselling author of How It Ended

"Corked is a fevered road trip that takes us deep into the heart of family mystery, emotional thirst and, in luscious counterpoint, the vineyards of France. Kathryn Borel is a caustically witty companion who writes with unsentimental, unsparing insight about the distant, inscrutable father traveling beside her."
—Leanne Shapton, author of Was She Pretty?

"Kathryn Borel's fresh, loud and hilarious voice carries the reader through the hallowed winegrowing regions of France with the same unique energy, irreverence and honesty she uses to explore her volatile father's soul, psyche and love for armpit treasures. A must-read for anyone who has ever shared a bottle of wine (corked or otherwise) with a larger-than-life-parent...anyone with a beautifully sick sense of humour and a serious love-hate relationship with the universe."
—Ibi Kaslik, New York Times bestselling author of Skinny                                                                      

 "If you would like to know what you look like, you bedraggled, devoted daughters of men with big personalities, pick up this mirror. It's a fun-house mirror. And it's all reflected here-the frustration, the love, the bewilderment-in prose that is vintage Borel: colorful, manic, sensitive, twisted, brilliant and brave."
–Sheila Heti, author of Ticknor and The Middle Stories