Flanders, 1915. David Verbocht, sentenced to death as a deserter, stands before the firing squad and looks back on his short and turbulent life. As a young man, David was sent away by his parents, after a tragic accident in the family, to become a schoolteacher in the remote village of Elverdinge. There he develops a special bond with a sensitive young student, along with feelings for the boy’s mother. Until fate strikes again and the history of loss and guilt seems to repeat itself. With His Name Is David Vantoortelboom has written a beautifully atmospheric novel about love and tenderness in the face of brutality and war, in a sober and intimate style that shimmers with a restrained sensuality.