Memoirs of a Geisha

Because we entered a secret world and discovered an against-all-odds story of a woman's strength.

Arthur Golden's meticulously researched historical saga is narrated by Sayuri, who was sold to a geisha house at the age of nine. She recalls a life filled with treachery (from her rival at the geisha house), intense training, humiliation, hardship—and the one man who showed her kindness. We also see the political turmoil in Japan as WWII breaks out. Through it all, Sayuri manages to keep her spirit intact on her long, hard journey to a happy ending.

— Dawn Raffel