While this is a Winner of the Prose medal at the National Eisteddfod is in not a novel without flaws - for example twice we are given insight in different character's minds by their bowl movements (or lack of them) however while this could have been developed into a theme it isn't, these two isolated moments are either end of the book remain undeveloped, like an idea she had but never got to working up.
I also wonder it Fflur has ever meet a nun or an archaeologist as while both are central characters in the book both were the cause for a significant suspension of disbelief in order to get through it as their "professional practice" bore such little resemblance to the nuns or archaeologists that I have met.
These notes of caution should not put you off - it is an engaging book, which creates a vivid and claustrophobic picture of island life. It shows how petty and how loving people can be in such a small and clearly bounded community. It is at heart a love story between two people who come to the island and to each other in part as escape from their existing love-less relationships. The believability of these relationships, which had gone on for years in a steady 'compliance' and mild discontent, is troubling as it means they follow a pattern that is observable often, how many people do you encounter who are going through the motions of love to the point where they have forgotten (or maybe never known) what the real thing is like.
The question the book asks is whether peoples motives in seeking out places like Bardsey is more to do with what they are running from than what they are running towards - and if you deny you are running away it seems somehow you will never truely escape.
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