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. 

By Colin Thomas Flahive

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