Girl going back in familiar alcove (5)
I believe the answer is:
clara
'girl' is the definition.
'going back in familiar alcove' is the wordplay.
'going back' says the letters should be written in reverse.
'in' indicates the answer is hidden within the clue.
'aralc' can be found hidden inside 'familiar alcove'.
'aralc' in reverse letter order is 'CLARA'.
(Other definitions for clara that I've seen before include "Schumann" , "Butt" , "Home town of the Taoiseach" , "Woman" , "-- Bow, silent film actress" .)