Georgetown College welcomed back alumna Leslie Little on Tuesday with an author’s presentation and a book signing for her award-winning book “Paris Icons.”

The presentation, held in Riggs Library, included remarks made by College Dean Chester Gillis and a professor who taught Little, Clare Cleary, who taught a class on European civilization for the history major.

Cleary said that she was proud of her former student’s success with her first book.

“It doesn’t get any better than that – and that’s on her first try,” Cleary said.

Little began working on the book after moving from her London home to be closer to her family in Omaha as she overcame a serious illness. She said coming back to Georgetown after her ordeal made her feel like she was coming home.

“My Georgetown education is the one thing that has seen me through everything – and no one can take that away from me,” Little said.

The book contains photographs of French culture and Parisian icons taken by James Scholz paired with quotes from poets, composers and writers associated with the history of Paris. Due to its success, a book on London icons is planned to be released to coincide with the 2012 London Olympics.

Little’s book received the gold medal for most outstanding book design in 2009 from the Independent Publishers Association, as well as an Independent Publisher Book Award medal for best coffee table book of the year in 2009.

Little said the book incorporated what she calls her “Jesuit vision of the world” at a time when she was rebuilding her life. “Paris Icons” represents that rebuilding.

“I might have been ill. I might have been alone. But I was in Paris,” Little said.

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