Geisha: A Life [Paperback]

No woman in the three-hundred-year history of the karyukai has ever come forward in public to tell her story—until now.

Many say I was the best geisha of my generation, writes Mineko Iwasaki. And yet, it was a life that I found too constricting to continue. And one that I ultimately had to leave. Trained to become a geisha from the age of five, Iwasaki would live among the other women of art in Kyoto's Gion Kobu district and practice the ancient customs of Japanese entertainment. She was loved by kings, princes, military heroes, and wealthy statesmen alike. But even though she became one of the most prized geishas in Japan's history, Iwasaki wanted more: her own life. And by the time she retired at age twenty-nine, Iwasaki was finally on her way toward a new beginning.

Geisha, a Lifeis her story -- at times heartbreaking, always awe-inspiring, and totally true.Born in 1949,Mineko Iwasakiwas Japan's star geisha until she retired at the age of twenty-nine. She now lives in a Kyoto suburb, with her family.ABOUT THIS GUIDE
The suggested questions are intended to help your reading group find new and interesting angles and topics for discussion for Mineko Iwasaki'sGeisha, a Life.We hope that these ideas will enrich your conversation and increase your enjoyment of the book.
Many fine books from Washington Square Press feature Readers Club Guides. For a complete listing, or to read the Guides online, visithttp://www.BookClubReader.com
Questions and Topics for Discussion
1) What were your perceptions of the life of a geisha before reading this book? How does the picture that Mineko paints of the world of Gion Kobu compare to your previous impressions of geisha girls ?
2) Similarly, what were your views of Japanese culture before this memoir? In what ways were these views changed, if at all, after experiencing Mineko's story?
3) Among those unfamiliar wil1