Memoirs of a Geisha

Chiyo and her sister are sold into slavery by their father. While the young Chiyo fairs better than her sister, who winds up in a lowly brothel, she is still bound to the rules of the geisha house. Her startling gray eyes and beauty make her a target for the famed Hatsumomo. The house soon becomes wrought with friction leading Chiyo to want to escape. Sadly, before she finds freedom, she is caught and loses her status, thereby sealing her fate; she can never become a geisha. Soon, the illustrious Mameha, a rival of Hatsumomo, asks Chiyo if she would like to become a geisha under her tutelage. The young girl proudly accepts and becomes Sayuri. The war is upon them and the next thing she knows, she is swept to countryside for some time. As a grown woman, she returns to the city and the okiya. With Hatsumomo gone, she turns her attention to seeking the man she has always dreamed of.

The story of the young Japanese girl, with its illustrious appeal, beckons you forward into the secret lives of women. The honesty and cruelty within the walls of their homes helps to solidify the complexity of the characters. A vivid tale, given to dark secrets, longing, and a hope for love. Arthur Golden writes a woman’s narrative so well that I almost forgot he was a male, and that made me enjoy the characters even more. A well-accomplished novel that I would definitely recommend.