A Simple Kindness in Flatsboro: A Southern Novel

A small dose of kindness can go a long way

Andy Clark has always been different. But it isn't just the tumorous mass covering half his face that sets him apart—it's his quiet kindness. As an anonymous do-gooder in Flatsboro, North Carolina, Andy lives out what his mama taught him, even though she's no longer there.

Della Rose Miller, a well-known former beauty queen, escapes her crumbling marriage to arrogant Wade Miller and moves back to her hometown in hopes of finding reprieve. She and her daughter settle into a little Flatsboro apartment and quickly learn that they’re in the same complex as a childhood classmate whose heart Della Rose broke in third grade.

With her life turned upside down, Della Rose is uneasy about starting fresh, but when unassuming Andy turns his generosity toward her daughter, an unlikely friendship rekindles. When a heroic act suddenly pushes Andy into the spotlight, he risks his anonymity and quiet day-to-day habits to stand up for what's right.

As Della Rose navigates the end of her marriage and Andy continues his secret philanthropy, they navigate grief and trusting God. Heather Norman Smith weaves a charming and heartwarming Southern story to remind you of the power of simple kindness.

"Readers seeking a touching story of faith and redemption won’t be able to resist the heartwarming friendship at the novel’s center. It’s a tender ode to small-town morals and second chances."

— Publishers Weekly

"Settle in for a story as sweetly delicious as lemonade on a summer afternoon."

—Sarah Loudin Thomas, award-winning author of These Blue Mountains

Publisher: Kregel Publications
Published: 9/16/2025
Pages: 280
Binding Type: Paperback
Size / Weight: 8.5 in H | 5.5 in W | 0.7 in T | 0.7 lb Wt
ISBN: 9780825455643


About the Author

Heather Norman Smith is the award-winning author of Songs for a Sunday. She lives in Lewisville, North Carolina. Find out more at heathernormansmith.com.