'Our Towns' finds optimism in America's smaller cities

While reflecting on the many cities she and her husband James visited during their reporting, Deborah Fallows recalls an interaction she noticed everywhere they went. She calls it “The Question.” Put simply, it’s the line that follows “Nice to meet you,” in an conversation with someone new. In big, transient cities like Seattle and Los Angeles, people ask “Where are you from?” In St. Louis, “Where did you go to high school?” In New Orleans, “Who’s your mama?” “It’s a question,” Ms. Fallows