Kyle Walker, a social worker for the homeless, finds life hard in his California coastal community. The horrors of his time in Vietnam haunt his nights, and depression and guilt over the death of his wife rule his days. Walker's intense dedication to his job led him to neglect her, and his tremendous regret drives a wedge between him and his daughter, Cheyenne.

Mercy is a homeless schizophrenic, a "wingnut" in the vocabulary of the streets. Brady, a homeless alcoholic, is her protector. When he is brutally beaten by classmates of Cheyenne, Mercy's life is endangered as the sole witness. Fighting her tormenting inner voices, Mercy seeks Kyle's help, but he is distracted by the needs of his other homeless clients, including a hooker who is a junkie and has managed to touch his soul. Almost too late, Kyle realizes the very real danger Mercy and Cheyenne face when Brady dies, and his killers aren't finished.

Shattered Dreams is a memorable story about the pain, fears, hopes, and dreams of the homeless and those who commit their lives to serving them. It portrays the human side of the mentally ill who find the streets their home.