What is the author's style in Memoirs of a Geisha by Arthur Golden?

This is a novel that is unique in many ways. As it takes place entirely in another culture, it is filled with unfamiliar phrases and descriptions, customs and expectations. The story begins with two young sisters in a small town named Yoroido. This fishing village is the only life they know until they are taken to Tokyo by a virtual stranger who sells them into a form of indentured service. Chiyo, the younger of the two girls, is already a good looking child. Her sister is not as pretty, and as such, they are separated immediately.