A memoir by Evanna Lynch, The Opposite of Butterfly Hunting, published in South Africa by Jonathan Ball Publishers in November this year, relates the raw and compelling coming-of-age story of a young woman who has to walk the fine line between her fears and her dreams.
The story of Evanna Lynch’s casting as Luna Lovegood in the Harry Potter films reads like a fairy tale. Aged 11, young Evanna is suffering from a devastating eating disorder – her only escape her beloved Harry Potter books – when she lands a part in the hugely popular Harry Potter film series as none other than her favourite character, one Luna Lovegood. Pretty magical, right?
Not so fast. This particular fairy tale gets rather nightmarish, with plenty of dark details which Lynch doesn’t shy away from and instead shares bravely, honestly and with rare insight. She reveals particulars of her recovery, her ongoing struggle, and the burden of her perpetual pursuit of perfection.
Surrounded by 15 grandchildren of varying ages, I am only too aware of the challenges faced by our little ones. Particularly those in their early teens who wrestle with the fragility of their emotional infancy while faced with the overwhelming information overload streaming through their arsenal of devices, not to mention the pressures from their older siblings, friends and their own bodily messages. Early puberty is a challenging time and we as parents and grandparents should be extra vigilant of our youngsters as they grow up in an increasingly confusing and confused world. We are dutybound to make ourselves available, and to hear and see them for who they are and help them navigate and realise their dreams.
In The Opposite of Butterfly Hunting, Lynch offers invaluable insight and wise reflection as she delves into the heart of her own relationship with her body and what happened when she was faced with the first signs of becoming a woman. It is not a short journey and certainly not an easy one. There are no simple solutions or quick fixes to anorexia, an eating disorder that claims the lives of more than a third of those afflicted. In sharing her journey and her search for the right choices that, in the end, would help her accept the essence and unpredictable reality of womanhood, she selflessly and courageously casts herself as a beacon for kids and adults who might be going through the same hell.
I was especially intrigued by the fact that the disorder creates an illusion of safety, which in fact is the thing that ends up destroying the patient. And to break free of this illusion of safety, those affected must climb a seemingly Sisyphean hill in order to reach love and acceptance for themselves. For Lynch, it was clinging to a dream that helped her summit the hill and set her free.
The Opposite of Butterfly Hunting is required reading for parents, grandparents, teachers, doctors and councillors alike.
