Books based on the idea of returning soldiers from either of the Iraq wars are a tough assignment, since JARHEAD pretty much said all that needs to be said. Ronald Damien Malfi’s VIA DOLOROSA tries its hardest to break free from that stigma, anyway.

It’s the story of newlywed couple Nick and Emma D’Nofrio, who are spending their honeymoon off of Hilton Head while Nick paints a mural for the hotel. Early on, we’re told their relationship is strained, but the reasons why are not explained until much later, but most readers will be able to figure it out for themselves.

The reason Nick is at this hotel in particular is because the father of a solider from his outfit works there. The father is still not over the grief of losing his son in the conflict and considers Nick a hero for what he did to try to help. Thrown into the mix is a Spanish photographer named Isabella, who is just fascinated by the newlywed couple; she tries her hardest to poke and prod at Nick throughout.

The story followed a very predictable path for me, since I kind of saw where it was headed very early on. But what saves it are Malfi’s depictions of the Iraq war, with Nick having flashbacks of certain events exploding in his head every so often, to the point that he imagines them still happening in front of his face. All of this affects Nick’s work on the mural.

Malfi gives us solid characters and a story to match, in this offering from Raw Dog Screaming Press. It’s just that with so many other books about soldiers out there right there, it’s a difficult stretch to tackle. –Bruce Grossman

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