The Opposite of Butterfly Hunting cover art

The Opposite of Butterfly Hunting

A powerful memoir of overcoming an eating disorder

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The Opposite of Butterfly Hunting

By: Evanna Lynch
Narrated by: Evanna Lynch
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About this listen

Gradually, I began to feel this dawning awareness that womanhood was coming for me, that it was looming inevitably, and it didn't feel safe.... While those around me tried to expedite it, simulate it, exacerbate it, I tried to strangle it.

A raw and compelling new memoir from actress and activist Evanna Lynch about the battle between perfection and creativity.

Evanna Lynch has long been viewed as a role model for recovering anorexics, and the story of her casting as Luna Lovegood in the Harry Potter films has reached almost mythic proportions. Yet even after recovery, there remains a conflict at the very core of her being: a bitter struggle between the familiar, anesthetising pursuit of perfection and the desire to fully and fearlessly embrace her creativity. In her memoir, Evanna confronts all the complexities and contradictions within herself and reveals how she overcame a life-threatening eating disorder, began to conquer her self-hate and confronted her fear of leaving the neatness and safety of girlhood for the unpredictable journey of being a woman.

Revealing a startlingly accomplished voice, Evanna uses her book to delve into the very heart of a woman's relationship with her own body. Unwilling to let the darkness of her eating disorder eclipse her dreams, but afraid to fully release the certainty and safety of self-destruction, Evanna explores the pivotal moments and choices in her life that led her down the path of creativity and dreaming and away from the empty pursuit of perfection, and reaches towards acceptance of the wild, sensual and unpredictable reality of womanhood. This is a story of the tragedy and the glory of growing up, of mourning girlhood and stepping into the unknown and how that act of courage is the most creatively liberating thing a woman can do.

©2021 Evanna Lynch (P)2021 Headline Publishing Group Ltd
Eating Disorders Mental Health Personal Development Psychology Psychology & Mental Health Women Health Memoir Inspiring Heartfelt Thought-Provoking

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All stars
Most relevant  
Brought to tears in the final chapter taking place in the circus classes with a new friend. Such hope and beauty.

Hopeful

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Such a well explained true life story. Sad and happy moments but expressed from a person who has dealt with such struggles. An amazing lady

Truly breath taking

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I really loved this tenderly written and insightful account of Evanna’s life and experience with anorexia. It opened my eyes so much to the disorder with such vulnerability and raw insight. A powerful book, wonderful.

Tenderly written, insightful.

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Working with girls with eating disorders think has made me more compassionate and a little more understanding of how brutal this is.

So helpful

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Evanna somehow finds away to inspire us all to love ourselves in whatever form that takes while also using her most painful memories to try and make a change to how those struggling with their mental health are treated.

Simply breathtaking

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So eye opening. Yet full of humour. Incredible strength of character and honesty. I'm so grateful I've read this book right now.

Thank you

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I found myself laughing and crying with the young Evanna on several occasions. Her struggles with anorexia brought back childhood memories of my own struggle with weight. Disordered eating is much more prevalent than we would like to admit. The author is very brave to lay her emotional struggles bare for all to see. This is a well written, moving, and honest account of a young girl's coming to terms with herself and the inevitable changes that puberty brings. Certain details might be triggering to those in the depth of anorexia's grip, however.

Honest and poignant

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Struggling with an ED myself I have never felt so heard but also made me laugh at how similar my thoughts spiral in the same way. I loved how honest are real these words are no sugar coating anything.

The honestly, every word honest and real

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Beautifully written and beautifully told.

Spoke to me my soul.

So much of what she said and felt resonated with my own lifelong disordered eating patterns and self-loathing and was refreshingly un-triggering and none ‘preachy’.

Excellent.

The story I didn’t know I needed

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From someone who suffered on and off with eating disorders this has been an absolutely down to earth and gripping reality. The honesty and vulnerability in this book written and executed perfectly by Evanna has really shown the true meaning of what it is to heal. Thank you.

Such a gripping book

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