The Sparrow

In the year 2019 a signal from outer space is found - a exquisite singing. The Jesuits quietly and efficiently put together a mission to make contact. In the year is 2060. Father Emilio Sanchez, the sole survivor of the Jesuit mission to the planet Rakhat is recovering in anticipation of a hearing about the mission to explain what went wrong. He came back barely alive, a bitter and broken man.

The story is told in two parallel streams - one starting in 2019 tells the tale of the discovery of the singing and how the mission came together and progressed, the other about the slow recovery of Father Emilio and how he slowly starts to open up to his entourage in Italy. And finally they come together at the hearing. The focus on the story is on understanding of differences between cultures and people, on how your own fundamental beliefs color your perception of others. Great read.