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The Opposite of Butterfly Hunting
- A powerful memoir of overcoming an eating disorder
- Narrated by: Evanna Lynch
- Length: 13 hrs and 2 mins
- Unabridged Audiobook
- Categories: Biographies & Memoirs, Women
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Summary
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.
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What listeners say about The Opposite of Butterfly Hunting
Average customer ratingsReviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.
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- Muse
- 04-12-21
Loved It!
Beautiful account of growing up with all the problems that go with it, especially with mental health issues thrown in the mix. I don't have an eating disorder but I've got mental health issues and I could relate to so much of this. Please write more Evanna and I loved hearing you read it!
6 people found this helpful
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- mandy
- 11-12-21
Brutally but beautifully honest
I adored this book, Evanna Lynch never fails to deliver anything but her truth and I am so grateful for it. Up there with the best of the best for me in terms of charting an uneasy relationship with one’s own identity and mental health.
3 people found this helpful
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- Sadie
- 15-11-21
Stunning
A brilliant, beautiful, and brutal exploration of growing up in search of meaning. Evanna Lynch is a spellbinding writer and performs with the honesty and sincerity befitting the subject. I marathoned this in 2 days and have been drifting around in a daze thinking about it. This gave me a lot to think about.
3 people found this helpful
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- Clara
- 20-10-21
Brutally honest with shockingly hilarious parts that had me laughing in public like a maniac.
It’s so refreshing to have someone be so unapologetically honest about their own flaws, insecurities, and struggles. I realised some of my own bizarre thought processes maybe aren’t so bizarre after all- we just don’t speak openly enough about these topics.
I didn’t expect so much of the book to be about Harry Potter but I loved learning about the casting process of Luna and how it was fated to someone so dedicated to the role.
This was such a brave book to publish and I hope it reaches the people who need to hear they aren’t alone in their struggles. It’ll have them in deep contemplation one moment then bursting out in laughter the next.
Hope to read more from you about your life in the future Evanna!
3 people found this helpful
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- Alice Telford
- 09-03-22
insightful.
made me realise alot about my self. really well read and interesting throughout. I could listen over and over again.
2 people found this helpful
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- Mihai Olaru
- 22-02-22
A moment's realisation
Her voice is so calming and sincere.
Healing takes place in a mind's switch.
1 person found this helpful
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- Anonymous User
- 04-02-22
Beautiful
An interesting, inspiring, deep and yet light, warm and at times fun story. Beautifully preformed by the author. This really helped me feel more connected to the characters and events as described. I didn't know what to expect from this book, and I'm glad. I am grateful for surprise. I hope Evanna goes on to write more books, and I look forward to seeing where she takes her tales of magic, acceptance and joy next.
1 person found this helpful
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- Nadia
- 02-11-21
Brutally brilliant
As someone who has struggled with anorexia, this was the most relatable book I've ever read.Itt's brutal, harsh, and at points overwhelming but it's also full of hope and some (possibly unintentional) humour.
1 person found this helpful
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- Rachel
- 26-10-21
highly recommended
this book is amazing I'm the detail Evanna went in to telling her story was incredible Luna was always my favourite character in Harry Potter and now she's my favourite writer to
1 person found this helpful
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- Amazon Customer
- 18-10-21
Honest and amazing
I absolutely adored this book, the narration and the honesty throughout. I'm a big fan of eating disorder books, especially recovery, but I felt like Evanna had experienced my life whilst listening to this book. Highly recommend.
1 person found this helpful
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- Daniela Horsley
- 16-12-21
A book with meaning
This is a memoir who says a lot about the author and still leaves you wanting to know more. To meet and talk to her, to debate, to get inspired. I hope Evana sees that she went from being ’the opposite of Luna’ (as she says, I don’t necessarily agree) as a child to being Luna as a grown up. I just love her and her courage!