Epilogue: Chad Renner

            Although I preferred Parable of the Sower, I still was captivated by Iversen’s eloquence and her shrewd ability to blend two seemingly irrelevant narratives into a cohesive story (her father’s alcoholism and Rocky Flats). However, what resonated most with me was Kristen’s family travails because I experienced a very similar situation during my childhood. Thus I could relate to her feelings of bewilderment and curiosity at her families rapid deterioration. In the Epilogue Kristen concludes her memoir masterfully and the very first page conveys, succinctly, the underlying theme of both narratives. “ The serenity of the landscape belies the battles that still wage over who controls the land, how dangerous the levels of contamination are, and what’s to be done about it” (341). This quote personifies both the environmental debacle at Rocky Flats, and Kristen’s family’s own struggle to conceal an increasingly fractious household. Moreover in the Epilogue it is evident that with regards to Rocky Flats that a satisfactory resolution may never be fully realized. Indeed according to Kristen, “The controversy over land surrounding Rocky Flats continues as well. Government agencies claim that the Rocky Flats National Wildlife Refuge is safe and nearby areas are fine for homes, businesses, and recreation (342). Yet the same can be said of Kristen’s estrangement with her father, a rift which may never be completely assuaged. Finally the is also a discernible pessimism in the Epilogue which is illustrated that nuclear disasters are not merely confined to Rocky Flats or the United States even. I found this ending fitting considering Kristen’s style of writing. Rather than tenderly reassuring us that Rocky Flats is nuclear aberration, Kristen assails us with startling facts and statistics which compel the reader close the book with grim uncertainty.