Chiyo and her older sister Satsu are taken away from from the fishing town of Yoroido and their elderly father when their mother becomes critically ill. Chiyo is hopeful that she and her sister will be adopted by the wealthy Mr. Tanaka, owner of the Japan Coastal Seafood Company. They are surprised when he does not adopt them but rather takes them by train to Kyoto and later horrified when they are cruelly separated from one another. Chiyo finds herself thrust into the position of a maid in an okiya (house of geisha), but she does not know where her sister was taken.

Memoirs of a Geisha opens a rich new world of traditional Japanese customs to the Western reader. Although the author is an American man, he transcends the barriers of gender and culture in telling this story. He narrates his story in the first person of the geisha Sayuri while also fully developing the relationships between other predominantly female characters. His tale is so convincing that, at times, it’s hard to think of this memoir as a work of fiction. The Japanese theme of geisha is treated by the author with utmost respect and understanding. It’s a beautiful story which leaves an indelible mark on the heartstrings of its readers.