'I can identify the exact moment when things began to change It was a cold winter afternoon I had just turned three' Emerging shyly from her hiding place Mineko encounters Madam Oima the formidable proprietress of a prolific geisha house in Gion Madam Oima is mesmerized by the child's black hair & black eyes she has found her successor & so Mineko is gently but firmly prised away from her parents to embark on an extraordinary career of which she will become the best But even if you are exquisitely beautiful & the darling of the okiya the life of a geisha is one of gruelling professional demands & Mineko must first contend with her bitterly jealous sister who is determined to sabotage her success Captivating & poignant GEISHA OF GION tells of Mineko's ascendancy to fame & her ultimate decision to leave the profession she found so constricting