I had very mixed feelings about this book. On the one hand, it is very beautifully written, especially the use of similies and metaphors. "I waited until the night was so thick my hands in front of my face were imagined. " 
".... the thing that made Mam's sewn-on smile fray at the edges". 
"... patterns as delicate and complex as the plants that weave over each other in a meadow".
On the other hand, maybe it was me, but I kept getting lost in the plot. Where and when was I? The books jumps around between now and the past as we as Ireland and Canada, and I was not always sure how the paragraph I was currently reading fitted. Perhaps I should have paid more attention but it didn't enhance the reading experience. 
The book did tackle some interesting themes. One more quote: "Religion tells us that we are evil and if we believe it we become it". Thought-provoking.