Alice: Life Behind the Counter in Mel’s Greasy Spoon is an insightful and delightful peek into the feature film and television series which was inspired by it. This compelling and in depth history of the film Alice Doesn’t Live Here Anymore and series Alice delves into the personal lives of the actors, producers, directors and explains how their ideas and relationships intertwined to bring the characters to life in the 1970s and 80s. By page six I wanted to watch the film which I never knew was the story behind the television show, and by the end of the book I could not wait to re-watch the episodes of the beloved series I grew up watching. Mr. Putt does not only give a detailed description of the history of the characters and the actors, but infuses it with a feminist perspective which highlights the progressive nature of both the film and series. The lead character, Alice Hyatt, is a single working mother who has to put aside her dream of being a singer to work at a diner and provide for her son, Tommy. In the television series, the writers do not hold back, as the episodes tackle hard hitting topics for the time including homosexuality, depression and suicide. The interviews compiled by Mr. Putt recounts the input of the actors’ on their characters, which shows how they grew from simple somewhat one dimensional characters into complex and lovable human beings. Not only does Mr. Putt include the back story of the lives of the characters, the description of each episode of the series (especially fun is noting the episodes where the boom mic can be spotted or a random crew member accidentally lurks in the background), guest appearances and the world of the spin off Flo, based on the sassy, iconic character from the series. This book is a wonderful introduction to the life of Alice and a warm and thoughtful memoir for audiences.”

— shelli pentimall