A review by chandeclipse
Geisha: A Life by Mineko Iwasaki

challenging emotional informative inspiring sad medium-paced

5.0

I was extremely intrigued by the stories and experiences shared by the Mineko Iwasaki about her life as it counters the fully negative outlook on the lives of Geisha/Geiko that Arthur Golden perpetuated in his book (Memoirs of a Geisha). Iwasaki not shares the moments and years of her life that were difficult and painful, but also those that brought her great joy, passion, and hope. The life of a Geiko in Japan was never perfect and was bound by outdated rules, but Iwasaki’s ability to tell her story with detailed explanations of the customs and culture of Japan and Geisha/Geiko life was both educational and insightful. I think it’s high time that men stop trying to tell our stories for us and instead, give us the platform to do that ourselves so as to avoid misinformation and misconstrued ideas of what it means to be one thing or another. If you’ve read Memoirs of Geisha or seen the 2005 film (as I have done both), then I highly recommend reading this book.