DARWIN, Australia /CitizenWire/ -- Dr. Martin W. B. Jarvis OAM CM, Ph.D., has published a new historical novel titled "The Other Bach: The Mysterious Magdalena Wilcke" (ISBN 978-1834380001; released through Tellwell Publishing, May 2026), which explores the life of Johann Sebastian Bach's second wife, Anna Magdalena Wilcke.
The book blends historical fiction with Jarvis's long-standing interest in eighteenth-century music manuscripts and forensic document analysis. It focuses on Anna Magdalena's background as a professional musician before her marriage to Bach in 1721, and considers her proximity to the creative and musical work of the Bach household.
In describing the project, Jarvis said: "Anna Magdalena Wilcke became Bach's second wife in 1721. She was a trained and highly regarded musician at the Köthen court. The novel is an attempt to imagine her world and her possible role in the music around her."
The novel draws loosely on Jarvis's earlier academic work in forensic handwriting examination of music manuscripts attributed to Bach, including the Six Unaccompanied Cello Suites. His research formed the basis of his Ph.D. and has been the subject of a BBC documentary, "Written by Mrs. Bach - Music Under the Microscope."
Jarvis says the novel is not intended as a definitive historical claim, but rather as a fictional exploration of gaps in the historical record, particularly around women whose contributions to music history are not well documented.
The book also reflects on the broader issue of how women in music have often been under-documented in historical sources, especially in the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries.
Dr. Jarvis is a Professorial Fellow at Charles Darwin University in Australia. His background is in music performance and forensic document examination, and he has previously served as an expert witness in legal proceedings.
"The Other Bach: The Mysterious Magdalena Wilcke" is available now.
BOOK SUMMARY:
Author: Martin Jarvis
Buy Link: https://a.co/d/00jHFcWs
Genre: Historical Fiction
Released: May, 2026
PAPERBACK ISBN-13: 978-1834380001
Publisher: Tellwell ( https://tellwell.ca/ )
Learn More: https://www.tellwellpublishing.com/
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