The book begins with the main character Chiyo talking about her childhood, with her parents and sister. She explains how her father had a family before them who all died. Also, her mother becomes very ill and she explains how that affects her, but she never imagined that her mother would pass away. The prominent business man of the town visits Chiyo's house and Chiyo believes that he is adopting her and her sister because they slept over his house for a night. She soon finds out she is wrong when after a long train ride her and her sister are separated. Chiyo goes to live in a geisha house called the okiya. She is put to hard work as a maid and she is told if she works well they will begin to train her as a geisha.
The current geisha living at the house is a beautiful but horribly wicked woman named Hatsumomo. The woman who run the geisha house are called Granny, Mother, and Auntie. Granny is also wicked, but Auntie seems to try to help Chiyo out at times. Hatsumomo is a very successful geisha and is extremely conceited about her beauty. She seems to have it out for Chiyo, tricking her into mean traps and Chiyo is constantly getting in trouble for things Hatsumomo has set her up for.
All along Chiyo has been searching for information on where her sister is and when she finally figures it out she begins to plan on how to see her. One night Chiyo has to deliver something to Hatsumomo, and after she hurries to find her sister. She finds her sister working as a prostitute along at her young age I don't think she realizes that. They agree on a time to meet and run away together, they only get to talk for a few minutes.
When Chiyo gets home it is very late and Hatsumomo is angry at her and gives her money saying that she wants her to run away because she hates her so much. Then just as Chiyo is getting hopeful that she will actually be able to leave, Hatsumomo drags her up to Mothers room yelling that Chiyo stole jewelry from her and sold it. Mother searches Chiyo and finds the money that Hatsumomo gave her and Chiyo is beaten.
Chiyo comes to find out that eventually she must pay back all of her expenses at the geisha house. Her rent, food, clothes, doctor bills, and things she has stolen or damaged are all added up and eventually she must pay them back to leave. And realistically, unless you are a huge success at being a geisha you will always be indebted.
Since Chiyo's date to run away with her sister is the next day Chiyo isn't sure how she will be able to leave. So when the day comes Chiyo goes out on the roof, but falls off breaking her arm, unable to meet her sister. Chiyo got the worst beating of her life and has no idea of what happened to her sister.
A few weeks later Chiyo gets a package in the mail from the business man from her small town that originally sold her into slavery. It contains a letter saying that her mother passed away and that her father passed away soon after. Also that her sister made it back to their small village and ran away with her old local boyfriend and that if Chiyo should hear form her to please contact him. She comes to the realization that she has no one left and honestly doesn't know what to do with herself.
This book is different than many others I have read before but I am seriously captivated by it. I just cant wait to read more :)
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