“The Full Body Burden: Growing Up in the Nuclear Shadow of Rocky Flats” is an intertwining of two stories illustrating how secrets can be destructive. Kristen Iversen also presents the dangers of the U.S. government's hidden secrets and her family's secrets. Growing up in the neighborhood of a secret nuclear weapons manufacturing plant in Colorado, Iversen lived and witnessed the mutilation of the community and environmental degradation from the harmful effects of radiation from the plant . On the other, a family that is disintegrating; His father's alcoholism was a secret subject, not up for discussion. The ineffective mother could not keep the family together either; she suffered from the renunciation of her alcoholic husband and the realities of Rocky Flats. The overall effects are twofold; Iversen and his family suffered health problems due to radiation and the father's (Iversen) alcoholism. Residents suffered from cancer and incurable deformities, all because of secrets. The U.S. government has hidden a deadly secret at Rocky Flats. The Department of Energy established a nuclear plant to make plutonium triggers for use in nuclear weapons during the Cold War in the 1950s and 1960s. For years, locals believed the plant made industrial detergents (McGrath). Growing up, Iversen learned about the unique Rocky Flats business from her mother. His mother said, “I think [Rocky Flats] makes cleaning products, scrubbing bubbles or something. » (Iversen 12). This was indeed a lie spread among Coloradans. Full Body Burden reveals the US government's cover-up of mistakes to justify its security concerns. The creation of the factory by the government led to radioactive emissions into the environment. Ef...... middle of paper......highly reported. A fire caused by the spontaneous ignition of plutonium debris from the nuclear power plant. The only report on the fire was "on page 28 of the Rocky Mountain News, under a photo of the animal of the week." (Kirkus). There was no emergency response plan to protect residents in the event of a disaster at Rocky Flats (Iversen 67). In conclusion, Full Body Burden demonstrates the deadly dangers of secrets, deadly secrets that result in destruction. Government security secrets have led to citizen infirmities; radiation mutilating the very citizens the government was protecting. Dozens of people have suffered from cancer, dozens of children have been born with malformations. Family secrets led to renunciation and disintegration. Iversen's neck injury could not be diagnosed early enough because the family hid the secret. Secrets have the power to destroy.