The Opposite of Butterfly Hunting

The Tragedy and The Glory of Growing Up; A Memoir

By: Evanna Lynch

Narrated by: Evanna Lynch

Length: 13 hrs and 1 min

Publisher's summary

From actress and activist Evanna Lynch comes a raw and compelling memoir about navigating the path between fears and dreams.

Evanna Lynch’s casting as Luna Lovegood in the Harry Potter films is a tale that grew to almost mythic proportions - a legend of how she faced disordered eating as a young girl, found solace in a beloved book series, and later landed the part of her favorite character. But that is not the whole story.

Even after recovery, there remains a conflict at her core: a bitter struggle between the pursuit of perfection and the desire to fearlessly embrace her creative side. Revealing a startlingly accomplished voice, Lynch delves into the heart of her relationship with her body. As she takes the lisstener through a personal journey of leaving behind the safety of girlhood, Lynch explores the pivotal choices that ultimately led her down the path of creativity and toward acceptance of the wild, sensual, and unpredictable reality of womanhood.

Honest, electrifying, and inspiring, this is a story of the battle between self-destruction and creation, of giving up the preoccupation with perfection in favor of our uncharted dreams - and how the simple choice to create is the most liberating action a person can take.

©2021 Evanna Lynch (P)2021 Random House Audio

Best book I’ve heard in years!

I can’t recommend this enough. I loved reading this book, but being able to listen to it with Evanna narrating truly brought it to life. The best ED recovery nemours out there…. She keeps it as non-triggering as possible and is so realistic about the process of recovery- and of recovery from recovery as Evanna puts it- that I found myself continuously nodding along in agreement. My favorite book in easily the last several years… a rare gem!

Good overall. Helped me be a better father.

The beginning of the book forced me to take a long hard look at my efforts as a parent. While I feel like I listened a lot more than my parents listened to me, this book helped me realize areas I could improve.

The story was from the heart and showed me a world I knew little about and makes me want to learn more so I can be a better advocate for people with eating disorders.

My only issue, and this is just a me thing, but I felt the pacing was off at times. Sometimes, I would get confused with the timeline of things, but maybe it translates better to Paper.

Definitely a good book and recommended listen.

Perfect!

This book is perfect for anyone who was ever a teenager. As someone who suffered an eating disorder at the same age, and who loves Harry Potter, hearing Evanna’s story has definitely opened my eyes to some of the thoughts I never realized I had.

Stark, honest, and true

I do not typically enjoy autobiographies, but I do enjoy Evanna Lynch as a reader for audiobooks, so I gave it a chance. And it turns out, she writes just as well as she reads. Her story is beautiful in its misery, and hilarious in the self-awareness as she reflects on the past. Few writers dare to so bluntly put their honest mind into words, often choosing the more palatable approach. I am glad to say Evanna does not hold back from telling her story how she experienced it, and I’m glad to have had her guidance through this facet of her life.

a pleasant treat

I adored this memoir and the fact that Evanna narrates it herself. I didn't have any expectations going into it, but I am so glad I picked it up. I applaud Evanna for sharing her darkest times so openly, not trying to mask or beautify the ugly bits. This is a strong story and I think it belongs in my classroom library. . . and hopefully it will find its way into the hands of my students. ❤ This story is definitely worth listening to.

Amazing

such an amazing tale of truth, flaws, vulnerability and the human condition. Brava. Brava.

Just read it

Truly a must read - or really a must listen in my opinion. The most real, raw telling of someone’s journey with an eating disorder and mental health. I loved Evanna before this but I feel like I know her much better now and I love her even more for it.

Gut-wrenchingly heartbreaking yet powerfully beautiful

As a former anorectic/bulimic, I find Evanna’s recounting of and description of her journey to be the most definitive and accurate description of how eating disorders consume (sad pun not intended) one’s very existence physically, mentally, emotionally, and spiritually… and how recovery is very complicated and hard won and not linear, nor actually ever reached as a completed journey.

This story is pure raw honesty and humility and pride and strength and loss and wonderfully written. I thought I would find it triggering and worried about delving in too deeply into Evanna’s very vivid emotionality during her life with anorexia. But instead I felt empowered by it to remember where I was and where I am now and to savor the difference. Even though I am considered “healthy,” it is so true that that word is a double-edged sword for anorectics or bulimics or binge eaters or those with EDNOS.

Evanna is also wonderfully complex, deep, and perfectly descriptive in her insights and writing and I am in awe of her ability to lay every last feeling and detail out for us all to see in their truth.

And … I could never envision Luna portrayed by anyone else.

Unparalleled honesty

The brutal honesty of her thoughts and the healing process gutted me at times. Bottom line- we never know what someone is going through so just be kind and not judgmental.

Makes you feel, makes you think

This book made me do so much self analysis, soul searching and growing. I feel like I have reevaluated my approaches significantly to how I speak to myself, in my mind and out loud, and even how I parent. Fabulously written, brilliantly told.