Who Is Nikola Tesla Insane In Distant Waves?

Nikola Tesla wasn’t fully known until the last few chapters of the book, Distant Waves by Suzanne Weyn, although he was the driving force for main plot points in the story. Throughout the novel, Tesla invented many new devices that help to drive the plot of the book forward, like the earthquake machine and the time machine. Tesla was the reason Jane was able to meet Thad and his time machine in the book is what saved Mimi, Thad, Jane and himself from possibly meeting death while the Titanic was sinking. Although, Tesla did have some questionable moments as well.
Tesla was debatable character. Some would think he was insane. He exclaimed that he was having one of his flashes and said “I can taste the air. I can see all the food smells in

this room. It’s overwhelming me.” (page 287) Apart from his mental state, Tesla was a tall, gaunt man. his height being 6”4 (page 323.) Jane described him with curly black hair parted to the middle with brown shoes and a laboratory coat. He looked like he was in his mid to late forties. He had a heavy Eastern European accent and his lip would twitch nervously. (Page 19-20) He also could be considered a ‘Mad scientist’ as for Mrs. Brown accused him of being one. Tesla, rather than denying it, said “It would seem so.” (page 286)
Tesla did not really have any special connection with any of the characters. Tesla is really only connected with a few characters from the story. Tesla was closest with his assistant Thad. Jane felt that she had a connection with Tesla since they met when Jane was younger. Tesla liked to keep most of his information to himself. Tesla was afraid of people stealing his ideas. Thad was the only person Tesla told his ideas to. Although when Thad and Jane started becoming closer, Thad shared what he knew about Tesla’s ideas to Jane. Tesla knew he could trust Jane because she kept all of his information to herself. Tesla and Jane started having a stronger connection with each other.
The unstable, mad inventor, Nikola Tesla had few relationships with characters in the story and although Tesla wasn’t mentioned a lot in the book, he was almost always the main cause of the main plot points in the book Distant Waves.