Memoirs of a Geisha

Historical Novel: Memoirs of a Geisha Memoirs of a Geisha is a compelling novel that is centered on a young girl’s journey of maturing and becoming a prominent and successful geisha. The book was written by Author Golden and published in 1997. The story was based on the life of geisha in Japan during the 1930s and 1940s. Geisha literally translates into “art person.” Geisha are Japanese women that are trained to entertain men with singing, dancing, and conversation. The book itself was very accurate in a historical perspective and quite frankly, a very good read. The book opens in the first-person voice of Sayuri, the main character, and stays the same throughout the novel. Sayuri tells about her childhood growing up in Yoroido. Chiyo Sakamoto (Sayuri’s birth name), her sister Satsu, and her mother and father, all lived in a tipsy house on a cliff by the sea. At the age of nine, Chiyo’s mother became terribly ill. While running an errand to get some incense, Chiyo falls and injures herself. She meets Mr. Tanaka Ichiro, who is a wealth Company owner. From this point on, her life would be changed forever. Mr. Tanaka knew of their family’s tough situation, so when he stopped by their tipsy house to talk to their father, Chiyo was convinced he was going to adopt her and Satsu. She soon found out that was not the case. Satsu and Chiyo were both taken away on a train to Kyoto. Chiyo was separated from her sister and was placed in an okiya, or geisha house. Chiyo meets Auntie, Mother, and Granny, the owners of the Nitta okiya. She then meets Hatsumomo, who is the only geisha in the house. Chiyo also meets Pumpkin, another girl her age training to become a geisha. Chiyo is told that if she works hard, she may have the opportunity to begin her geisha training too. A few weeks after Chiyo’s arrival, Hatsumomo starts to manipulate Chiyo by telling her that she knows where Satsu is staying. Chiyo begins lesson at the geisha school a month into her stay. One evening