His Name is David – Book Review
Readers attracted to global literature will find His Name is David an exceptional way to delve into the culture and history of Flanders Belgium.
This book, a best-seller in The Netherlands and Belgium is written by Dutch/Flemish author Jan Vantoortelboom. The novel overlays a tragic coming of age story, WWI history and the ethos/aura of the region in one novel.
His Name Is David by Jan Vantoortelboom Published by World Editions LLC on April 16, 2019
Genres: Fiction, Historical, World War I, Literary, Coming of Age
Pages: 240
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Flanders, 1915. David Verbocht, sentenced to death as a deserter, stands before the firing squad and looks back on his short life. As a young man, David was sent away by his parents, after a tragic accident in the family, to become a schoolteacher in a remote village. There he develops a special bond with a sensitive young student, along with feelings for the boy's mother. When fate strikes again, the history of loss and guilt seems to repeat itself.
Jan Vantoortelboom grew up in Elverdinge, a small village in Belgium. His second novel, His Name Is David, surpassed the success of his debut and cemented his position in Dutch literature.
Not much literature set in Belgium makes it into English translations. Thus, His Name is David gives English language readers a rare opportunity to immerse themselves in Flanders culture. The Dutch-English translation by Vivien D. Glassnread well.
His Name is David captures and depicts the Flemish culture well. I have traveled often to the region and felt like I recognized the people depicted. There is a bit of an aura of fatalistic gloom not unlike what I have perceived in the region.
Overall this is a book that captures a young man’s commitment to his personal beliefs. It tackles well themes of grief, love, family all viewed through the point of view of a somewhat stubborn teenager. This coming of age story reminded me that WWI, like all wars, is largely fought by boys.
If you are traveling to The Netherlands or Belgium, His Name is David is an excellent book to orient you to the culture and people of the region. I highly recommend it
Reading the book in a public place or cafe may offer readers an opportunity to strike up a conversation with a local. Chat while you sip coffee or enjoy the weather. Of course, we are talking Flanders, so let’s just say the weather typically carries the same aura as the book. People don’t visit Flanders for the weather.
I am reading this book for my challenge to read a book from every country in the world. I am about a quarter of the way through and am planning to bring this challenge to my blog shortly. Make sure you subscribe so you can play along and travel the world from your armchair!
Also – if you are looking for more literature covering Belgium’s history you may like King Leopold’s Ghost. You can find my review of that book and over 400 others at Goodreads. I hope to see you there too! Make sure to follow me!