Like Another Helen

In Short

Set against the brutal backdrop of the Cretan revolt against Ottoman rule, the novel follows two idealistic travelers—an impulsive American journalist named John Curtis and a stalwart Swedish soldier of fortune, Lieutenant Peter Lindbohm. Arriving on the island to aid the insurgent Greek Christians, they quickly find themselves plunged into a nightmare of siege, flight, and blood. Alongside a brave Cretan priest's daughter named Panayota, they endure relentless ambushes, foreign bombardments, and harrowing escapes. George Horton weaves a vivid tale of war's collateral damage, testing whether chivalric ideals can endure under the terrifying pressure of real conflict.

The Story

The narrative opens in the spring of 1897 as a small caique slips out of the harbor of Piræus. Though ostensibly carrying cognac to Cairo, the vessel is packed with rifles, ammunition, and a revolving cannon destined for the Cretan rebels fighting the Turks. Among the passengers are John Curtis, an eager young American, and Peter Lindbohm, a big-hearted Swedish officer. Navigating stormy seas and dodging Turkish blockades, they successfully land on the Cretan coast and are welcomed as heroes by the local villagers.

Their romantic notions of war quickly crumble when Turkish forces and Bashi-Bazouks launch a ruthless counter-offensive. Curtis suffers a painful injury, but worse follows as the pass protecting the village of Ambelaki falls through the treachery of a local coward. The village is evacuated, but in the chaos, Panayota—the fierce, proud daughter of the local priest Papa-Maleko—is captured by the enemy. Her heartbroken father discards his sacred robes, snatches up a musket, and vanishes into the hills in a frantic attempt to find her.

Curtis and Lindbohm join the fray, enduring siege and forced marches under the swaggering Turkish commander Kostakes Effendi. Curtis tries to play the diplomat to protect Panayota, who bravely resists Kostakes’s advances even after learning her father was murdered while trying to escape. When opportunity strikes, Panayota, Curtis, and Lindbohm flee through the wilderness toward safety, constantly harassed by lurking Bashi-Bazouks and caught in the crossfire of international warships shelling the coast.

Their harrowing journey reaches a heartbreaking climax near Canea. Exhausted and desperate, Panayota takes refuge in a shadowed compound, only to discover it is a leper colony. Believing herself infected and condemned to a living death, she resigns herself to isolation. Curtis, governed by a streak of New England prudence, realizes he cannot save her without destroying himself. Bound by deep love and unyielding devotion, Lindbohm refuses to abandon her. He bravely steps into a rowboat and returns to Panayota's side, willing to risk everything to share her fate. Curtis sails back to America, leaving the enchanted, tragic island behind.

How It Unfolds

The voyage begins A small Greek caique disguised as a merchant vessel braves stormy seas and evades a Turkish blockading gunboat to deliver covert arms and ammunition to Cretan rebels.

A warm welcome Curtis and Lindbohm arrive in a mountain village, where they are met with rich hospitality, traditional feasts of roasted lamb, and high praise from the local Greek insurgents.

The pass is betrayed A cowardly shepherd guides the Turkish forces through a secret mountain pass, outflanking the defenders and forcing the villagers to flee toward the sea.

Captured in the fray Panayota is seized by the Turks during the confusion, prompting her father to cast off his priest's robes and charge recklessly into the wild to save her.

** March of the captives** Curtis and Lindbohm are forced to march alongside the Turkish forces, witnessing the destruction of local villages while Curtis attempts to protect Panayota from Kostakes Effendi.

Escape into the shadow Taking advantage of the night and heavy turmoil, the small group breaks away from their captors and races through the hills ahead of pursuing Bashi-Bazouks.

The terrible refuge Panayota seeks shelter in a silent village, only to realize with horror that she has entered a colony of lepers, where she believes her life is forever ruined.

Two paths diverge Curtis chooses self-preservation and boards a steamer bound for home, while Lindbohm gallantly returns to the island to remain with Panayota through whatever trials await.

The People

• John Curtis: An adventurous, romantic American journalist who rushes to Crete looking for glory and purpose. When faced with the grim horrors of real conflict, his romantic chivalry is tempered by a core of pragmatic New England prudence, driving his ultimate decision to return home safely.
• Peter Lindbohm: A brave, open-hearted Swedish cavalry lieutenant with a lion's courage and a child's simplicity. He approaches the insurrection with professional focus, but his deep love for Panayota transforms him into a noble figure willing to sacrifice his own future to stand by her side.
• Panayota: The proud, deeply religious daughter of a Cretan priest. Carrying a knife in her belt and fierce loyalty in her heart, she resists enemy advances with fiery indignation and endures intense trauma with solemn, tragic dignity.
• Kostakes Effendi: A handsome, vanity-driven Turkish commander who seeks to woo Panayota while conducting brutal military operations against the Cretan insurgency.

In Its Own Voice

"Before they get you," he said, "they must yust take us all."

Lindbohm gallantly promises protection to Panayota as the villagers prepare their defenses against the approaching Turkish forces.

"Murderer--Oh, don't deny it! Coward! Liar! You come to me red with my father's blood and talk to me of love."

Panayota bitterly confronts Kostakes Effendi after discovering her father was killed while attempting to break free from captivity.

"Numb, numb," she said. "No feeling. I am only one-fourth dead now, but it will creep on, on, over my whole body."

A leper woman named Aglaia describes her cruel, incurable affliction to Panayota inside the isolated refuge.

What It's Really About

The novel examines the stark clash between romantic foreign idealism and the horrific realities of guerrilla warfare. Curtis and Lindbohm arrive expecting a classical Greek drama of heroic liberation, but they are met instead with burned villages, summary executions, civilian terror, and disease. George Horton explores the destructive nature of religious and ethnic hatred alongside the true meaning of devotion. Through the contrasting choices of Curtis and Lindbohm at the end, the text asks what true honor demands when romance meets tragic reality: whether one selflessly embraces sacrifice or chooses self-preservation.

Why Read It Today

Like Another Helen offers a vivid, eye-opening look at late nineteenth-century Balkan conflict through the eyes of an author who intimately understood the region. Readers who enjoy classic historical adventures like For Whom the Bell Tolls or the romantic thrillers of H. Rider Haggard will appreciate its swift pacing, realistic local color, and intense action sequences.

The writing captures the breathtaking beauty of the Greek landscape as effectively as it conveys the chaos of siege and flight. It does not shy away from the brutality of war or period attitudes, presenting the ethnic and religious animosities of the Ottoman era with unvarnished directness. What stays with the reader is the poignant contrast between Curtis's easy retreat back to Western comfort and Lindbohm's heroic, selfless leap into an uncertain future. It stands as a touching, memorable tale of love forged in the crucible of war.