The Invention of Everything Else by Samantha Hunt

Hunt, Samantha. The Invention of Everything Else. Houghton Mifflin, 2008.

Reclusive inventor Nikola Tesla lived out his final decade in the Hotel New Yorker hiding from the world, befriending pigeons and bemoaning the loss of his radio patent to Marconi. In a masterful blending of fiction and history, Hunt tells Tesla's story through the eyes of fictitious chambermaid Louisa who is drawn to Tesla through their mutual interest in pigeons.

Tesla is one of my favorite characters in history and Hunt does justice to this prolific inventor, possibly one of the most brilliant men to ever live. This is literary fiction at its finest; a quirky real life character, elegant prose, seamless blending of fiction with history and a compelling story.

Recommendations:
The Prestige by Christopher Priest
Readers interested in Tesla's Colorado experiments with electricity will like this tantalizing tale of two magicians who seek his assistance in creating the most amazing illusion of all.

The Tesla Testament by Eugene Ciurana
For people interested in another of Tesla's inventions, Ciurana envisions what would happen if terrorists got their hands on Tesla's Death Ray, the blueprints to which were lost during the 1940s.

Tesla: Man Out of Time by Margaret Cheney
Cheney's biography is considered to be the definitive work on this man who many believe was too before his time to be fully appreciated.

Empires of Light: Edison, Tesla, Westinghouse and the Race to Electrify the World by Jill Jonnes
Readers who want to know more about the epic battle among the titans of invention will enjoy this chronicle of competition during the beginning of the technological revolution.

Superdove: How the Pigeon Took Manhattan ... And the World by Courtney Humphries

You can't read Invention without seeing pigeons in a different light. If you want to read more about their natural history and their presence in New York, you might enjoy Superdove.