From Book to New Audiobook - Page 2

Explaining the audiobook production process, Patinkin says, "For me the narrator can make or break a book. I'm an actor, starred on Broadway, national tours, all of that, and it really does use all of those skills. There's preparation, as you would for a character in a script…and finding the arc of the story, so you're there emotionally with each of those characters."

The Sveilich family's Eichler is "literally a character in the book," Patinkin says, adding, "Carol speaks about it with such passion. I happen to love mid-century, so it's a great fit on a lot of levels."

While Patinkin was producing the audiobook, her physician husband received a periodical in the mail. "A patient sent my husband an article called 'The Eichler Effect,' in the July 2021 issue of Antique Trader. The craziest thing was that one of his patients sent the magazine to my husband because there was a beautiful article on [modern furniture designer George] Nakashima, which we collect, and the next article was on Eichler homes!"

Reflections from a Glass House takes readers on a journey of ups and downs, beginning with Sveilich's parents' mid-century cross-country move from New York to California.

"Our family moved to San Jose in 1960; the Willow Glen Eichlers had just been built," recalls Sveilich. "My father saw our house off a concept drawing. We never saw an actual model home, and he didn't really know what it was going to look like. He thought it was weird, but he loved it."

At that time, there was nothing but orchards in the area, and "we felt like the flower children of the cherry orchards," she says. "Here we were, coming of age…and it was all done within the confines of the Eichler."

"I thought of our Eichler as a fifth family member; it had its own little vibe. I didn't feel that way in other homes. It had a personality, and I would miss it if we went on road trips. I'd miss my cat, but I'd wonder how the Eichler was doing."

A particularly amusing story in the book has to do with the side door that was located in one bathroom of the family Eichler. Sveilich says, "I'd always think, 'This is great—my friends don't have an escape hatch! What was Joe Eichler thinking?!' Every teenager I knew would escape through that door!"

So whether you have or haven't read Reflections from a Glass House, check out a copy of the new audiobook, and peer into Carol Sveilich's own 'Peyton Place,' a remarkable time and a unique home filled with "cats, chaos, and secret liaisons."

"The Yiddish word 'Bershert' means 'meant to be,'" Patinkin says. "This book fell into my lap in that way. I hope I brought Carol's characters to life..."

The Reflections from a Glass House audiobook is available on Amazon, Audible, and Apple iTunes. For a narration sample, listen to this audio clip from the book.