About The Shattered Mosaic – A father’s search for proof in a world of faith
The Shattered Mosaic: A father’s search for proof in a world of faith
Jacob Hinsen was a master of the legal system, a man who built his life on a fortress of certainty and evidence. But when his nine-year-old daughter, Jessica, dies in a senseless accident, his world shatters. Driven by a promise to always be with her, he abandons his career to conduct the ultimate cross-examination of faith and God.
This philosophical literary journey, honored as a Must Read with a five-star review from Reedsy Discovery, follows a grieving lawyer through the heart of Christianity, Islam, and Judaism. Jacob doesn’t seek comfort; he demands proof. From the catacombs of Rome to the strongholds of Jerusalem, he interrogates priests, imams, and rabbis like witnesses in a trial, searching for a single piece of verifiable evidence that his daughter still exists.
What he finds is a devastating pattern: every tradition offers absolute certainty, yet none can provide verification. Written by a Vietnam combat veteran who spent fifteen years distilling a lifetime of inquiry into this narrative, The Shattered Mosaic is a courtroom drama for the soul. It is written for the 100 million Americans who have left religion behind but still wrestle with the “Big Questions” of existence.
In the end, Jacob discovers something more profound than proof: the courage to live with honest uncertainty. He concludes that living with compassion and ethics, practicing the Beatitudes rather than just believing them, is the only way to honor the dead when the universe responds with silence. This is the novel for the seeker, the skeptic, and everyone who has ever needed more than “just believe.”
Buy the book, and follow the author on social media:
Learn more about the writer. Visit the Author’s Website.
Author Bio:
AW Schade | Author Biography
AW Schade is a Marine Vietnam veteran, a former IBM professional for twenty-eight years, and a lifelong inquirer of religious methods. After returning from the carnage of war with a drive to understand the mechanics of faith, Schade spent nearly eight decades as an objective observer of the world’s major religious structures. His career in the technology sector instilled a rigorous, systems-based approach to his research, allowing him to analyze the "back-and-forth" of dogma with the precision of a data-driven mind.
A man of deep commitment, Schade has been married for over five decades and is a father to three sons and a grandfather to nine. It is this grounded perspective on family and legacy that fueled his fifteen-year literary mission to bridge the gap between abstract theology and lived reality.
In his debut novel, The Shattered Mosaic, he explores the journey of protagonist Jacob Hinsen, who moves from the fragments of inherited religion to a bedrock of human responsibility. By blending his military experience, professional logic, and a lifetime of personal devotion, Schade provides a roadmap for those seeking a truth that holds up under the weight of the real world.