I inherited this particular from Peta's flatmate who is leaving London to head back to Australia. When I first read Memoirs years ago I was completely stunned that the story was fiction. It wasn't until I got towards the end of the book and things started tying up very neatly that I even thought to question that the Memoirs were fictionalised. It's because of the lame-ish ending of the book that I haven't rated it a *ten* star read but other than that I thoroughly enjoyed this tale of what it might have been like to grow up as a trainee Geisha in the Kyoto district.

Memoirs will be winging it's way to the USA to spend some time with a bookcrossing member who had listed it on her 'Wish List' as something she'd like to read.

I received this book in trade, and am tickled by the lovely jacket design: much more elegant than the American version.

I plan to read and journal soon, and then pass this book around my office. Thanks, Inkognitoh!

I found the subject matter of this book fascinating; I felt drawn into the intricate, intensely regimented life of the Kyoto geisha. In fact, I couldn't put it down and had finished it in a weekend. I did pause to wonder how a man from the West could write about so exotic a subject with such authority. Once I got into the story my defenses were down and I completely accepted what I read about Kyoto's geisha district as fact, although I understood the story to be fiction. I knew that at least one geisha Golden consulted with during the writing of this book was suing him, and I assumed that she had admitted the truth to him in confidence and felt betrayed to see it published. Later I realized that it could have been the other way around: she told him a few things, he imagined a lot more and represented the geisha life in an inaccurate way. So it was a very entertaining read, but I guess I don't know any more about geisha than when I started.

I passed Memoirs to Heidi-Coach.

Mailing Geisha to paixful, the next person wishing for it.

Ooops wrong copy of the book! I received two copies of this and one is to go in a project I am doing....this one isn't though so this one is the one that I will read:) Will write more, under the right name, as soon as I start reading:)

Lori

I haven't read this yet (but have registered it on the right bookshelf now;) but am eager to do so! Will be starting as soon as I finish my current book!