Delight in Good Books: Family, Devotional Practice, and Textual Circulation in Sarah Savage’s Diaries

Sarah Savage (1664–1752), a member of a prominent nonconformist family in Cheshire, England, kept a diary for over 60 years. Issues of family and religion are foremost in Savage’s diary, which also testifies to – and is an example of – the importance of textual production and circulation within her family’s devotional practice. This article discusses why Savage started her diary, what role it played within her spiritual life, and how her sense of its significance changed over time. It also explores the many respects in which her diary can be read as a family creation.