Memoirs of a Geisha

Strangely enthralling. I went into the book thinking it was a true story. I kept rooting for Sayuri to get her man, in this case, become the mistress of the object of her affections. When it appeared that everything was working out the way I had expected it to, I became suspicious. Never the less, I loved the story of this girl's life. What a difficult life it was! Being a geisha is not the glamorous life I had imagined. Quite to the contrary, I found that most of the girls live in near slavery conditions until it is determined they become geisha. Or not. I found I had a difficult time imagining Kyoto as being a lovely town/area/district. I kept imagining clapboard houses and dark tea houses.

Most of the war was skipped by. Sayuri was sent to live outside Kyoto for a time and became nearly unrecognizable. When she returned, naturally nothing was as it had been. It was a beautiful story, one that has left a mark on me. A book I may not be able or inclined to give up.