Rebecca Gold Chapter 7 Summary

          I believe it is now safe to say that everyone who has grown up around Rocky Flats has some sort of health issue. Kris' childhood friend, Tamara Smith, has a brain tumor the size of a lemon. After this tumor goes away, it comes back three more times and in the end resulting in sever health problems. Iversen states "she has trouble with walking, balance, and memory. But she recovers" (299) Later, Kris continues to talk about how Tamara and her husband had to move back towards her parents and she is unable to teach anymore. Also, in the beginning of the chapter, Kris talks about Silverman and how he was diagnosed with an inoperable brain tumor which he fought for 4 years (288). After reading all of these tragic things that happened to the people in the Rocky Flats area, it can be concluded that Rocky Flats is the reason for it. However, I do not understand why the state of Colorado would allow Rocky Flats to burn the 50 acres of land if they knew it was contaminated. That contamination simply just went into peoples lungs and bodies. Why would they allow that? Also, in this chapter Kris finally realizes what she wants to write about and why. She realizes what she has been wanting to write about was in her back yard all along. Iversen states, "It's turned out that the most important story to tell is quite literally in my own backyard." (283) This is when she finally realizes that this is her passion, to investigate the nuclear plant. She also realizes that she is unable to tell the story of Rocky Flats without sharing the story of her family, and her alcoholic father. I think this is a huge turning point in the memoir because this is when Kris finally states the reason for the memoir.