Memoirs of a Geisha

A literary sensation and runaway bestseller, this brilliant debut novel presents with seamless authenticity and exquisite lyricism the true confessions of one of Japan’s most celebrated geisha. Nominated for the Pulitzer Prize for Fiction, this evocative and heartbreaking story follows Chiyo Sakamoto, who is sold by her impoverished family to a geisha house when she is only nine years old. From there she is taken under the wing of Hatsumomo—one of the district’s most renowned geisha, but also one of the most cruel. In the years that follow, as she works to pay back her purchase price and train in the rigorous arts of the geisha, Chiyo transforms herself into Sayuri, the most captivating geisha of her generation. But throughout it all, she remains haunted by her past and her long-lost sister. The novel offers readers an intimate look at the secretive world of geisha in pre-World War II Japan, exploring themes of identity, destiny, and the power of transformation. This mesmerizing epic has captured the hearts of millions of readers worldwide.