Memoirs of a Geisha

Set in Kyoto, Japan, before, during, and after World War II, Arthur Golden's historical fiction novel, Memoirs of a Geisha, tells the story of Nitta Sayuri. Born Chiyo Sakamoto in a small fishing village, she is sold into servitude at an okiya (geisha house) in Gion at the age of nine. The novel chronicles her transformation and the trials she faces on her path to becoming a highly coveted geisha. Sayuri's journey involves intense training, rivalries, and the complex traditions of the geisha world, including the controversial mizuage ceremony. After the war, Sayuri retires from her profession when her patron, the Chairman, becomes her danna. The novel is told from Sayuri's first-person perspective, reflecting on her life from a suite in New York City.