Nonna is Domenica Maria D'Amore, the author's maternal grandmother and matriarch of a large Italian family. In the opening chapter, she is described as a woman of customs and traditions, one who pushed the limits of kindness to include thoughtfulness, consideration, concern, gentleness, respectfulness, politeness, and more. In the final chapter, reflecting on Nonna's death from cancer at age 58, Iezzi proclaims her to be one of the most important people in his life. A composition he wrote at that time called her "the best grandmother and the smartest storyteller in the whole world" who knew "everything in life and knew the stories of all the great people and saints that ever lived in the world." The intervening chapters are filled with anecdotes involving a variety of events and individuals that provide insight into this family as well as an earlier culture.