It is interesting to see others note that the book had a slow start or perhaps took a little time to get into. That can be a particular problem, I think, for historical novels (and novelists) who are introducing an very different world, as well as characters, conflict and plot. There are also so many novels available that there is a lot of emphasis put on the opening of a novel. It needs to have a hook. It needs to capture restive readers who, it is suggested, will flit on, butterfly like, to something else, if they are not 100% sucked in at the outset. But what I'm seeing in the comments here is that sticking with a novel can be really rewarding and that readers really are not as fickle or quick to cast aside a book as people think.
I loved this book. It transported me to a time and place I knew nothing about. It showed me characters I admired, characters I reviled and characters I wanted to journey with to find out what happened to them. It is literary and does take a bit of getting into, but is a richly rewarding read. I'm looking forward to reading more by Paulette Jiles.