A Different Kind of Madness

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