77 pages • 2 hours read
Kristen IversenFull Body Burden
Nonfiction | Autobiography / Memoir | Adult | Published in 2012A modern alternative to SparkNotes and CliffsNotes, SuperSummary offers high-quality Study Guides with detailed chapter summaries and analysis of major themes, characters, and more.
Before You Read
Super Short Summary
Full Body Burden: Growing up in the Nuclear Shadow of Rocky Flats is a 2012 nonfiction account by Kristen Iversen, blending memoir and investigative journalism. It details Iversen’s life near Denver, Colorado, focusing on her family's dynamics and the nearby Rocky Flats nuclear facility, which secretly produced plutonium triggers for atomic bombs. The book covers the facility’s history, environmental contamination, public protests, government investigations, and legal battles regarding radioactive pollution, alongside Iversen’s personal growth and career. Sensitive topics include familial substance abuse and environmental health risks due to radiation exposure.
Reviews & Readership
Review Roundup
Full Body Burden by Kristen Iversen is lauded for its gripping narrative and thorough research, blending a personal memoir with an exposé on the Rocky Flats nuclear plant. Positive insights highlight its detailed investigative journalism and emotional depth. Criticisms include a perceived imbalance between personal anecdotes and broader historical context, sometimes affecting the narrative flow.
Who Should Read Full Body Burden?
A reader who would enjoy Kristen Iversen’s Full Body Burden is interested in environmental issues, memoirs, and Cold War history. Fans of Rachel Carson’s Silent Spring or Rebecca Skloot’s The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks may find it particularly compelling for its merging of personal narrative with investigative journalism.
RecommendedReading Age
18+yearsLexile Level
1030LBook Details
Journalism
Biography
Politics / Government
Science / Nature
History: World
Natural World: Environment