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.
In Great Leaps, 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 fifty 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.
April 2021 update: We are operating as normal. However, airmail service from Hong Kong to some destinations is still suspended. Deliveries to countries including Canada, Ireland and New Zealand may be made by surface mail, with an estimated arrival time of 25 to 31 days. Thank you for your patience! Dismiss