Wee Row of Shops and a Bar plus other stories are completely fictional stories with fictional characters. The first eight stories Wee Row of Shops and a Bar give an insight into the characters and personalities and lives of the shopkeepers and in some cases of how they came to be there. Some of the characters hold secrets and heartaches that have burdened them for years. It would be beneficial to the read the stories in the order that they are presented, as some of the stories are linked. A number of the shopkeepers are inspirational women who display strength and courage. There is a concluding story which brings all the shopkeepers together, giving a short synopsis of their lives a year or so on. The remaining short stories are in no way linked and can be read in any order. They are extremely varied and contain many qualities such as, humor, sadness, hope, strength of character and happiness. These are just a few ingredients to capture the interest of the reader and sufficient enough for the reader to care about the outcome of the story. They are imaginative, yet easy to read stories - the perfect antidote, if the reader seeks an escape from their heavy novel.