The Many Adventures of Benjamin Lay: A Story of the 18th-Century Shepherd, Sailor and Humanitarian

By Jackie Yates and Tim Yates. Cobadida Books, 2026. 298 pages. $32.99/hardcover; $17.99/paperback.

Whether you have never heard of Benjamin Lay before or are already familiar with his remarkable life story, a new book of fiction about this incredibly brave British Quaker antislavery activist makes for captivating reading. The book brings to life not only Lay’s extraordinary life trajectory but also the emotions, personal struggles, and spiritual awakenings that accompanied him along the way. Lay was an early and outspoken abolitionist who campaigned against the sin of slavery at a time in which Friends on both sides of the Atlantic were slaveholders or involved in the slave trade.

The Many Adventures of Benjamin Lay begins with his mostly happy childhood in rural England. Benjamin is born into a Quaker family in 1682, and we see how Quaker values and teachings shape his upbringing and contribute to his inquisitive, critical mind and questioning of seemingly commonsensical social norms. We also learn of two distinct realities that are to mark his entire life: having been born with dwarfism, which exposes him to bullying and discrimination, and having been raised in a religious tradition whose nonhierarchical customs also set him apart.

In his early life, Benjamin works as a shepherd, during which he develops a deep kinship with animals, and then as an apprentice in a glove workshop. Long before he becomes aware of the evils of slavery, we see a young Benjamin making a principled decision to leave his secure apprentice position and promising future as a glovemaker, because he cannot abide by the use of sheep skins in glovemaking. Biographical accounts simply state that Lay was vegetarian; in this book, coauthors Jackie and Tim Yates develop the emotional and spiritual motivations behind Benjamin’s decisions.

The description of Benjamin’s time as a sailor is fascinating, introducing one to a whole new world of life aboard a ship with its strict hierarchies, harsh work routines, and meager diet but also moments of joy, solidarity, and lasting friendships. As a complete sailor novice with a smaller body than others on the ship, Benjamin works hard to earn the respect of his fellow sailors.

Back in London, romance blossoms for the first time in Benjamin’s life. He meets and marries Sarah Smith, a fellow Quaker who also has dwarfism. When Benjamin and Sarah apply to their meeting for approval for their marriage, their request is initially denied, ironically because the committee believed that Benjamin was not sufficiently grounded as a Friend. A recurring theme throughout the story is the ostracism Lay faced throughout his life in different meetings. Despite this disapproval, Lay always remained steadfast in his Quaker faith and undeterred. Benjamin and Sarah appeal to London Quarterly Meeting, which eventually approves their union, one that brings them great mutual support, companionship, and happiness.

Reading The Many Adventures of Benjamin Lay was gripping and inspiring. I marvelled at the stubborn persistence of Benjamin, despite repeatedly encountering almost unanimous hostility or indifference, both from fellow Quakers as well as the broader society at the time. His Quaker faith no doubt sustained him and gave him courage, as did the unwavering support and encouragement of his wife.

It made me think about contemporary Friends and the challenges we face in our day and within our own Society. I think of our equality testimony and its violation by those who refuse to recognize same-sex marriage, and hence deny the full humanity of LGBTQ+ people, just as enslaved people were denied humanity for centuries. As Quakers, we often pride ourselves on being progressive and nonconformist, but Lay’s story shows how progress has often been painfully slow and at great personal cost to early campaigners such as Lay (who was disowned from four Quaker meetings). Who are the Benjamin Lays of today, whose voices are disregarded or seen as too radical?

I am glad that my first introduction to Lay was through fiction, which enabled me to get to know him not just as an abstract trailblazing abolitionist but a multifaceted individual who struggled his entire life with being a visible, derided minority, as well as with rejection from his own religious community. By the end of the book, I felt a sense of communion with Lay and deep admiration that he always remained true to himself and never gave up the fight.

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Kathryn Lum is an anthropologist based in Brazil. She is a member of the Latin American correspondence group of Friends World Committee for Consultation. She has previously been active in Quaker communities in the UK, Spain, Italy, and Sweden.