The Code of Aquinas is a novel stubbornly wrenched from America's past. It tells the story of a young man, Gilly Morrison, who sets his ambitions and talents against the backdrop of a disunified country facing the mighty roar of the British Lion in 1812. Both the young man and the virgin nation are tested in a coming-of-age battle for the rights of America's sovereign liberties. Gilly, an orphan, is given the words to an ancient family code by his blood-brother, Michael. Together, they seek to apply its meaning to their own lives. Through the patient mentoring of their parish priest the words of the code take root and flourish. As the preparations for war in Baltimore reach fever pitch Gilly must overcome yet another trial: true love.