Thomas Aquinas, one of the Church's most scholarly and significant saints, may seem unapproachable: hard to understand and even more difficult to study. In this new volume of the Saints by Our Sides series, the 13th century Dominican priest becomes more than a wise and mysterious mystic. His story becomes an accessible and fascinating picture of sainthood.

Author Sr. Marianne Lorraine Trouve, well known for her blog Thomas for Today, has spent years studying the Angelic Doctor and his writings, making her the perfect guide to help the reader understand and appreciate how he became such a stellar figure in Church history through this warm telling of his life's story. Readers who may have been intimidated by Thomas Aquinas now have the chance to learn about the struggles of his life and how they fuelled his writings and life mission-and thereby glean an entry-point for reading his work. This narrative explores St. Thomas' spiritual legacy and why it's meaningful to study his writings nearly 800 years later.

The book also includes reflection questions, a prayer to St. Thomas, and a step-by-step guide on how to read an article of the Summa. For anyone looking for an engaging and attainable biography of a complex saint, or for the student hoping to gain insight on the works of Thomas Aquinas by understanding his life, this book presents those opportunities in a clearly written and compact form.