
Geisha, a Life
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Narrated by:
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Cindy Kay
About this listen
Celebrated as the most successful geisha of her generation, Mineko Iwasaki was only 5 years old when she left her parents' home for the world of the geisha. For the next 25 years, she would live a life filled with extraordinary professional demands and rich rewards. Through great pride and determination, she would be hailed as one of the most prized geishas in Japan's history, and one of the last great practitioners of this now fading art form.
In Geisha, a Life, Mineko Iwasaki tells her story, from her warm early childhood, to her intense yet privileged upbringing in the Iwasaki okiya (household), to her years as a renowned geisha, and finally, to her decision at the age of 29 to retire and marry, a move that would mirror the demise of geisha culture. Mineko brings to life the beauty and wonder of Gion Kobu, a place that "existed in a world apart, a special realm whose mission and identity depended on preserving the time-honored traditions of the past."
Geisha, a Life is the first of its kind, as it delicately unfolds the fabric of a geisha's development. Told with great wisdom and sensitivity, it is a true story of beauty and heroism, and of a time and culture rarely revealed to the Western world.
©2002 Mineko Iwasaki (P)2020 TantorListeners also enjoyed...
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The Titanic has often been called "An exquisite microcosm of the Edwardian era", but until now, her story has not been presented as such. In Gilded Lives, Fatal Voyage, historian Hugh Brewster seamlessly interweaves personal narratives of the lost liner's most fascinating people with a haunting account of the fateful maiden crossing. Employing scrupulous research, he accurately depicts the ship's brief life and tragic denouement and presents compelling, memorable portraits of her most notable passengers.
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Lots of interesting details
- By Rachel on 10-16-18
By: Hugh Brewster
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Honolulu
- By: Alan Brennert
- Narrated by: Ali Ahn
- Length: 15 hrs and 27 mins
- Unabridged
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Set in the 1920s and 1930s, Honolulu explores the stark contrast between the image of the glamorous Hawaiian paradise portrayed to the mainland and the harsh reality of life on the island. With characters as vivid and richly descriptive as the history of Hawaii itself, this novel is sure to enthrall listeners.
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Very Distracting Narrator
- By P Hermes on 05-22-12
By: Alan Brennert
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Captivated
- Donovan Legacy, Book 1
- By: Nora Roberts
- Narrated by: Therese Plummer
- Length: 7 hrs and 46 mins
- Unabridged
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Screenwriter Nash Kirkland is in Monterey, California researching witchcraft for his latest script and finds himself enchanted by Morgana Donovan, who claims she comes from a family of magical practitioners. Skeptical of anything he can’t explain, and wary about trusting his feelings, Nash nevertheless finds his growing desire for Morgana nothing short of supernatural.
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Fated Mates
- By Monika on 03-10-24
By: Nora Roberts
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Obachan
- A Young Girl’s Struggle for Freedom in Twentieth-Century Japan
- By: Tani Hanes
- Narrated by: Virtual Voice
- Length: 3 hrs and 16 mins
- Unabridged
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An unforgettable true story of resilience, family, and chasing your dreams against all odds. In this poignant and inspiring memoir, Tani Hanes recounts the remarkable life of her grandmother, Mitsuko Ishikawa, who grew up in early 20th century Japan dreaming of independence and education. Mitsuko's steadfast determination carries her through an arranged marriage, raising children during wartime, and carving out an accomplished career as a midwife, nurse and ikebana master - despite a society that expected her to be only a dutiful wife and mother. Through lyrical prose and vivid detail, ...
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Virtual Voice killed it
- By LexieLee on 04-14-24
By: Tani Hanes
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Marlene Dietrich
- The Life
- By: Maria Riva
- Narrated by: Christa Lewis
- Length: 33 hrs and 32 mins
- Unabridged
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With intimate detail, author Maria Riva reveals the rich life of her mother, Marlene Dietrich, the charismatic star of stage and screen whose career spanned much of the 20th century. Opening with Dietrich's childhood in Schöneberg, Riva's biography introduces us to an energetic, disciplined, and ambitious young actress whose own mother equated show business with a world of vagabonds and thieves.
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Wow
- By Tabitha McIntyre on 10-03-20
By: Maria Riva
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Tragic Hollywood, Beautiful, Glamorous And Dead
- By: Jackie Ganiy
- Narrated by: Virtual Voice
- Length: 10 hrs and 1 min
- Unabridged
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Have you always been fascinated by the morbid side of Hollywood? Did you cut your teeth on books like Hollywood Babylon, and shows like Mysteries And Scandals? This book promises to deliver all the salacious details about the stars you remember, not for their films, but for their tragic short lives. What really happened to Natalie Wood aboard The Splendor that cold November night? Was Jayne Mansfield really decapitated? Just how decadent were the days of the silent movies? Maybe you think you've heard it all? Trust me, you haven't! Chock full of new details, shocking photos and even a ...
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A Thorough History of Hollywood Stars
- By teresa e. green on 06-16-25
By: Jackie Ganiy
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A Very Private Woman
- The Life and Unsolved Murder of Presidential Mistress Mary Meyer
- By: Nina Burleigh
- Narrated by: Siiri Scott
- Length: 14 hrs and 13 mins
- Unabridged
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In 1964, Mary Pinchot Meyer, the beautiful, rebellious, and intelligent ex-wife of a top CIA official, was killed on a quiet Georgetown towpath near her home. Mary Meyer was a secret mistress of President John F. Kennedy, whom she had known since private school days, and after her death, reports that she had kept a diary set off a tense search by her brother-in-law, newsman Ben Bradlee, and CIA spymaster James Jesus Angleton. But the only suspect in her murder was acquitted, and today her life and death are still a source of intense speculation.
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Easier to listen to than to read
- By Cheaton on 06-05-20
By: Nina Burleigh
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The Street of a Thousand Blossoms
- By: Gail Tsukiyama
- Narrated by: Stephen Park
- Length: 14 hrs and 45 mins
- Unabridged
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Japan, 1939. On the Street of a Thousand Blossoms in Tokyo, two orphaned brothers are growing up with loving grandparents who inspire them to dream of a future firmly rooted in tradition. The older boy, Hiroshi, shows early signs of promise in sumo wrestling, while Kenji is fascinated by the art of creating exquisite masks for actors in the Noh theater. But as the ripples of war spread all the way to their quiet neighborhood, the brothers must put their dreams on hold - and then forge their own paths in a new Japan.
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Great Audio Book
- By Victor on 09-22-07
By: Gail Tsukiyama
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Collateral Damage
- The Mysterious Deaths of Marilyn Monroe and Dorothy Kilgallen, and the Ties that Bind Them to Robert Kennedy and the JFK Assassination
- By: Mark Shaw
- Narrated by: Phil Thron
- Length: 21 hrs and 19 mins
- Unabridged
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If there had been no cover-up of Robert Kennedy's complicity in the murder of Marilyn Monroe in 1962 and he had been prosecuted based on compelling evidence at the time, the assassination of JFK by Bobby's enemies would not have happened - changing the course of history and preventing the murder of media icon Dorothy Kilgallen.
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Author Makes Unsubstantiated Claim About Trump
- By Gordon Moncibais on 06-02-21
By: Mark Shaw
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The Year of Magical Thinking
- By: Joan Didion
- Narrated by: Vanessa Redgrave
- Length: 1 hr and 28 mins
- Original Recording
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When celebrated writer Joan Didion’s life was altered forever, she wrote a new chapter. In this adaptation of her iconic memoir, Didion transforms the story of the shattering loss of her husband and their daughter into a one-woman play performed by Tony Award winner Vanessa Redgrave, who originated the role on Broadway in 2007.
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Difficult story, but worth it
- By Maya on 08-07-20
By: Joan Didion
Mineko-San was very, very talented, but if she lacked for friendship, I suspect it was because she was rather taken with herself. She was often indignant and sometimes hard to get along with if her self-description is accurate; however, to balance that Mineko-San was also an extremely dedicated worker and extraordinarily talented. Perhaps she had a bit of an excuse to be taken with herself.
Underneath the boasting was an insecure young girl who just wanted to fit in and be like all the other girls. Instead others were often jealous of Mineko-San’s talent and popularity amongst her clientele. Even her young fellow geishas liked to play tricks on her, often to educate or just to plain needle her out of jealousy. All her life, beginning at a very early age, Mineko-San was a private person; someone who preferred her own company and the company of books and music. When overwhelmed by emotion or noise, she would spend long hours in the quiet of her closet. The choice to become a geisha, a career that required her to be outgoing and “on” all the time, was diametrically opposed to her natural propensity for quiet and solitude. Mineko-San struggled mightily between the two sides of her life.
There was so much history of the art, traditions and dates provided, that I found myself rather lost at times.
I found her description of her first and only time living in her own to be very amusing (calling home and having a service person come immediately to her apartment because none of her appliances worked. She had no idea she actually had to PLUG them INTO a socket…everything thing was done for geisha’s in training, absolutely everything. One day Mineko-San had a friend over for tea. She filled the kettle with water and placed it on the stove. Eventually the friend came into the kitchen to find out what was taking so long…no one had shown or told Mineko-San that in order to heat the water, she had to actually had to twist the knob on the stove top. Living on her own was a real eye-opener for her.
Still, I found the book entertaining. The narrator’s voice was very pleasant to listen to (although it lacked passion).
Overall, “Geisha, a Life,” was a good read and was worth the credit I spent.
VERY INFORMATIVE LOOK AT THE LIFE AND ART OF GEISHA
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A Great enlightenment
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Beautiful Insight
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The narration of it was done really well, I enjoyed the reading.
The story was emotional and gripping, kept me interested and wanted to finish it in one entire sitting.
Would highly suggest this book if it fits into your general genre of listening.
Very informative and easy listening
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Beautifully written. Great narration.
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The real Memoirs of a Geisha
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More for a woman than a man
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Captivating Book
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It was generally good.
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Mineko does an excellent job of describing the world of the geisha. It seems both hauntingly beautiful, but also incredibly demanding. I will say the movie that was supposedly based on this book is not an accurate representation of the geisha culture or Mineko’s experience. I strongly recommend this book if you have an interest in both Japan and geisha. You will not be disappointed!
Geisha, A Life
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