Review: ones a poner time by Ilsa Evans

Title: ones a poner time

Author: Ilsa Evans

Published: December 2011

Synopsis: An entertaining cocktail of short stories born from half a century (and counting) of memories and musings. Take a journey from a sixties childhood, through some revolting teen years, the armed forces, two marriages, three children, eclectic employment, the (nonstop) demands of family – and relish the humour in life, no matter what. Two parts comedy and one part drama, with just a dollop of farce, this book is best enjoyed while curled up on the couch with a box of chocolates.

Status: Read from March 15 to 16, 2012 — I own a copy {Courtesy the author}

My Thoughts:

I first discovered Ilsa Evans books when I picked up a copy of Spin Cycle at the library. I enjoyed the book so much on my next visit I searched for more of her titles and was delighted to discover Spin Cycle was the first in her lighthearted short series which also included Drip Dry and Odd Socks and found two other books as well (Each Way Bet; Flying The Coop: A Free Range Tree Change or Has She Made the Worst Mistake of Her Life, all of which I read in a week. It was a some time later I believe before I stumbled across Broken) which was a marked departure from her previous novels, dealing with domestic violence, followed by The Family Tree and Sticks and Stones with similarly serious themes examining family tragedy.

‘ones a poner time’ gives some context to the seemingly radical shift in focus for Ilsa’s fiction. A melange of humour, tragedy, joy and sorrow, Evans reveals her phobia of hair ribbons, the nightmare of an abusive marriage, her grief at the loss of much loved family members and and her pride in raising three lovely children on her own.
The book is divided into titled chapters providing a glimpse into Ilsa’s life. Some of the vignettes had me laughing in recognition and sympathy such as when Ilsa was caught truanting by her mother, cowering on the floor of the bus, defrosting a guinea pig who miraculously survived a flooded pen and the trials (offset by the joys) of motherhood. I can see how these types of events were the genesis for Evan’s lighthearted family fiction.
Evans is very candid about the more difficult parts of her life including her father’s tragic illness, an abortion and miscarriage, a chilling childhood abduction attempt, and most notably her experience of domestic violence. It seems to me that her later published work, is a way of processing the emotions and memories of these events, perhaps buoyed by the confidence gained in her earlier publishing success. Evans is quite matter of fact about the tragedy she has experienced, sharing it not to garner sympathy but to acknowledge that she has moved past these seminal events to become a stronger woman.

A collection of ‘memories and musings’ this self published title tells the story of Ilsa’s past, and how it has shaped her present as a woman, a mother and an author. Well written and very readable, I found ‘ones a poner time’ entertaining and interesting and recommend it, especially to fans of this talented writer.

Join me at Book’d Out tomorrow for a guest post from Ilsa Evans and a chance to win ones a poner time, as well as Flying the Coop and The Family Tree

You can learn more about Ilsa Evans and her work at

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ones a poner time is available to purchase

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Her backlist is available in both print and digital 

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Also by Ilsa Evans