Empty Bones is weightlifting, infidelity, drunk driving, facelifts and childbirth – it's a family and their weekend reunion. It is Lisbon to Madrid on the night train and Auckland to Wellington on a motorbike. It is the end, the beginning and the gristly in between. Empty Bones is a novella accompanied by five equally raw, intense and comical short stories, from the author of the acclaimed Bird North. 'Wow. Breton Dukes' BIRD NORTH is a knockout. Brilliantly intense book.' Emily Perkins, Twitter 'Roddy Doyle is a hard act to follow, but in Bird North New Zealand author Breton Dukes does it with a gritty and sometimes disturbing collection of stories.' Ian Williams, Otago Daily Times 'Confidant, nuanced and unselfconsciously local, this is an accomplished debut.' Sam Finnemore, NZ Listener Breton Dukes lives with his wife in Kaikorai Valley, Dunedin. He is a telephonist for the government. His interests include rabbit shooting, tenting and cookery. Cover: Dylan Horrocks