Colombo, September 1964. As the newly independent island nation of Ceylon struggles with racial divides, Greta van Buuren faces both the upheaval of her future and the re-emergence of her past. Greta and her family are Ceylonese Burghers, a group of mixed racial origin, whose privileged position in society is coming to an end.Soon she must decide whether to stay, or to leave Ceylon forever. A Different Kind of Madness explores the madness of a family and a nation caught at a moment of transition, neither knowing how or whether they will survive the change.

'A truly wonderful novel, rich with understanding and written with the simple clarity of genius. A Different Kind of Madness is surely destined to become a classic. It is the most satisfying novel I've read for a very long time.'- ALEX MILLER, novelist, and twice winner of the Miles Franklin Award

'Schokman writes in an unselfconscious way even as her descriptions are remarkable for their precision of detail; each character is presented in a way that elicits compassion. This is a book not to be missed.'- THOMAS H. OGDEN, author of The Parts Left Out and The Hands of Gravity and Chance