“An intimate and deeply human memoir that shows why we should all be concerned about nuclear safety, and the dangers of ignoring science in the name of national security.”—Rebecca Skloot, #1 New York Times bestselling author of The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks A shocking account of the government’s attempt to conceal the effects of the toxic waste released by a secret nuclear weapons plant in … released by a secret nuclear weapons plant in Colorado and a community’s vain search for justice—soon to be a feature documentary
Kristen Iversen grew up in a small Colorado town close to Rocky Flats, a secret nuclear weapons plant once designated “the most contaminated site in America.” Full Body Burden is the story of a childhood and adolescence in the shadow of the Cold War, in a landscape at once startlingly beautiful and–unknown to those who lived there–tainted with invisible yet deadly particles of plutonium. It’s also a book about the destructive power of secrets–both family and government. Her father’s hidden liquor bottles, the strange cancers in children in the neighborhood, the truth about what was made at Rocky Flats–best not to inquire too deeply into any of it. But as Iversen grew older, she began to ask questions and discovered some disturbing realities.
Based on extensive interviews, FBI and EPA documents, and class-action testimony, this taut, beautifully written book is both captivating and unnerving.
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The title piqued my curiosity as I browsed discounted Kindle books. Rocky Flats? I know about Rocky Flats, having grown up a few miles from it. So I bought it. Oh my goodness, this book told me all the things I DIDN’T know about Rocky Flats–all the years from 1952 on, when the plant manufactured plutonium “triggers” for nuclear weapons. Because …
What a cover up! So many lives senselessly lost. A page turner but what a tragedy!!!
True, but so sad. Makes you afraid of what big corporations do with no conscience.
I was the Public Health Nurse in the area from the mid- 70’s to the early 80’s. There was a lot of government secrecy at the time. This book is really informative
This book was a real eye opener. I had heard of Rocky Flats but had never paid it any attention until I read this book. The Rocky Flats Plant was a former nuclear weapons production facility in near Denver, Colorado. This book outlines its creation, along with the alarming “accidents” and release of plutonium. Anyone living in the vicinity of …
Very interesting read
I have a personal interest in Rocky Flats as I lived and worked in Boulder County- thankfully not downwind. Easy to read. The facts are disturbing but worth knowing.
Having worked in the nuclear industry for 29 years I found the book to be a realistic portrayal of the DOE and their programs.
Thought-provoking
I was shocked to discover that I had lived in Denver during the last few years of Rocky Flats operation. I had HEARD of it, but really didn’t know anything about it. It was a shocking, shocking story of government cover-ups and apathy of the public. Give a person a ‘decent’ paycheck and he or she will put up with nearly anything. I didn’t …
True story of Rocky Flats and AEC/DOE. Invaluably
A must read book! It should be required reading for high school or college students. It dispels the myth that the government is watching out for us, and reminds us that we must all be responsible for ourselves and our community.
Well written, and terrifying because it is the reality we live in today. The author did a beautiful job of intertwining her personal story as well as a ghastly and shocking truth of what our government hides from us. Bringing the personal side of life in a poison field, where families are dependant on their livelihood even if it means endangering …
Excellent read.
I enjoyed the book very much and recommended it to my friends. A great deal of info on the production of atomic weapons set much to close to a city. I loved reading about her family and how they coped.