"Contact", the book by Carl Sagan.

Contact Essay
Ellie Arroway, the main character of Contact is forced to persevere through many obstacles, starting with the death of her father who she was close to. Project Argus (the team of researchers Ellie is over) has been unsuccessful after many attempts to achieve contact with another unearthly being. Religion and faith is a cloudy issue because of her near-atheist stance toward God. From relationships to achieving Project Argus's goal, Ellie life takes many twists and turns, but she remains focused and driven.
Project Argus has been trying to achieve contact for years and had b…