Great Leaps

In Great Leaps, Colin Flahive explores China’s rural-urban migration against the backdrop of his own transition from Colorado to southwest China. There he partnered with three friends to open a café that became much more than simply an outpost of Western cuisine in a far-flung corner of the world.

Over the course of a decade, Salvador’s Coffee House became home to more than 50 young women from mountain villages in the surrounding countryside. Most knew nothing about coffee or Western food, but they moved to the city to work at Salvador’s and earn their independence.

Great Leaps follows the challenges faced by Colin, his partners and his employees as they leave their old lives behind to make a new home in a foreign land. They encounter unlikely successes, endure heartbreaks and nearly lose everything. But by taking the leap together, they all find their own places in the modern Chinese dream. 

American-born Colin Thomas Flahive has been living and traveling in China for more than 16 years. He currently lives with his wife in Kunming, where, in addition to writing, he runs multiple businesses and social enterprises.

Foreword       
Pronunciation Guide   
Chapter 1    From the Countryside   
Chapter 2    Sharks and Margaritas   
Chapter 3    China’s Dammed   
Chapter 4    Moving East   
Chapter 5    A New Home   
Chapter 6    Down to Business   
Chapter 7    A New Partnership   
Chapter 8    To Kill a Roach   
Chapter 9    Traveling Circus   
Chapter 10    Ice Cream Diplomacy   
Chapter 11    Raising Ducks   
Chapter 12    The Republic of Salvador’s   
Chapter 13    Wind at Our Backs   
Chapter 14    An Unexpected Guest   
Chapter 15    Damage Control   
Chapter 16    Blade to the Chicken’s Throat   
Chapter 17    Haunted by Ghosts   
Chapter 18    Country Lessons   
Chapter 19    American Dreams   
Chapter 20    A New Direction   
Chapter 21    Joining and Departing   
Chapter 22    Scene of the Crime   
Chapter 23    The Art of Baking Bread   
Chapter 24    Dirt Dumplings   
Chapter 25    Uprooted   
Chapter 26    Taking a Leap