This is such a sad little book. Right from the start you get a sense of the feelings of abandonment Sayo Masuda felt. Her earliest years were spent as a nursemaid to a local family before she was sold into the Geisha profession. She never knew her father, nor most of her step-siblings, at all. She only had minimal contact with her mother - but never felt loved by her - and only became close to one of her step-brothers later in life.

The Geisha life Sayo endured was at the lower end of the scale - nothing like the glamourised versions made popular in novels of recent years. She was little more that a glorified prostitute, whose life was bought and sold by those around her.

However, through it all, it becomes clear what a steely determination this young woman possessed. No matter what was thrown at her she managed to cope. Despite being illiterate and uneducated, she managed to convince patrons she was more knowledgeable than she actually was, by listening to others' conversations. When food was scarce, she became an entrepreneur in order to survive. And even at her very lowest points, she was able to come through them with a new strength.

This book was written entirely by Masuda, and as such, lacks a little "polish". In places I found it a little difficult to follow conversations, but on the whole this is an excellent book. The situations and imagery are all very vivid, being written first-hand, and you can't help but admire this woman for everything she came through.