Naomi Tanielu, affectionately known as Nana, makes her first appearance in chapter 4, "Supernova," as her deceased grandson James's body finally arrives for burial.
Naomi was born and raised in Uafato, Samoa, where she lived with the Tanielu family and helped her daughter-in-law Annie raise her two grandsons — James Tanielu and Odell Tanielu — and her great-grandson Cameron.
As the family's eldest matriarch, Naomi represents the spiritual and emotional center of the Tanielu household. Her presence at James's homecoming burial grounds the grief of the entire family in the Samoan roots and traditions that define who the Tanielu family are.