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Girl in the Song: The True Story of a Young Woman Who Lost Her Way--and the Miracle That Led Her Home
A fascinating true story
Chrissy grew up surrounded by the beauty of love and the ugliness of pain. The daughter of a pastor whose church was located in a rough-and-tumble area of Brooklyn, she witnessed the ravaging effects of the streets on the lives of the most desperate―drug addicts, derelicts, and other destitute people. Yet her own home was a haven of warmth, filled with affection and love.
Then something happened that tore her away from it. With the flip of a switch, Chrissy fell deeper and deeper into deception where haunting images and songs pointed to one thing―perfection. Longing to be the girl in the song, she became entangled in an obsessive relationship. Before long, secret after secret led her down the path to becoming someone she didn’t even recognize. Locked in to an impossible life, Chrissy found release from a surprising direction.
Girl in the Song tells the gripping, true story of a young woman whose choices led her to despair and incredible triumph. More than the story of one lost girl, Chrissy’s experience points to the power of hope to lead us away from destructive relationships and into a life that just might end happily ever after.
Chrissy grew up surrounded by the beauty of love and the ugliness of pain. The daughter of a pastor whose church was located in a rough-and-tumble area of Brooklyn, she witnessed the ravaging effects of the streets on the lives of the most desperate―drug addicts, derelicts, and other destitute people. Yet her own home was a haven of warmth, filled with affection and love.
Then something happened that tore her away from it. With the flip of a switch, Chrissy fell deeper and deeper into deception where haunting images and songs pointed to one thing―perfection. Longing to be the girl in the song, she became entangled in an obsessive relationship. Before long, secret after secret led her down the path to becoming someone she didn’t even recognize. Locked in to an impossible life, Chrissy found release from a surprising direction.
Girl in the Song tells the gripping, true story of a young woman whose choices led her to despair and incredible triumph. More than the story of one lost girl, Chrissy’s experience points to the power of hope to lead us away from destructive relationships and into a life that just might end happily ever after.
- GenresNonfictionChristian
288 pages, Paperback
First published August 1, 2015
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Displaying 1 - 11 of 11 reviews
August 24, 2015
Fabulous read! I read this is in a day! Such a moving and inspiring story that I was able to very much relate to. Highly recommended!
January 25, 2026
A story of God’s redemption when we move far away from him.
August 17, 2015
Chrissy's book is just as powerfully written, spirit led, and engrossing as her father's works. Full review to come.
November 7, 2020
This was a great story about redemption found through Christ. Pursuing the worldly version of “love” only led Chrissy down an incredibly dark path of sin and brokenness. Her story is a great example of how we can only be made whole when we realize that Jesus is all we really need. He was ready to fill that hole in Chrissy’s life and offer the true love that only He can give as soon as she was ready to surrender and submit to Him. Her struggle is one that many other women also go through, and I found her testimony to be a great encouragement. In the end, God had a perfect plan for her life and He was able to create good from Chrissy’s sin. At times the book read like there was a few things missing from the story and you had to draw conclusions on your own, but overall I would definitely recommend!
March 4, 2026
Ooof. Such a hard read, but only because Chrissy's testimony is so close to my own. I had to put it down for a few months.
I had read partly of her testimony through her dad's book (Fresh Wind, Fresh Fire), but to hear the whole story from her perspective was even more powerful.
God is so faithful. Read Chrissy's story (God's story, really) and be encouraged!
I had read partly of her testimony through her dad's book (Fresh Wind, Fresh Fire), but to hear the whole story from her perspective was even more powerful.
God is so faithful. Read Chrissy's story (God's story, really) and be encouraged!
April 15, 2020
Not my usual type but a good rendition of a true story.
September 26, 2021
Could not put it down, read it in 3 days. Chrissy's story is so compelling and the wisdom she gained from these terrible choices is incredible.
October 6, 2022
this book was everything I needed. pure food for the soul💗
August 31, 2015
New Girl. New Song.
During their years of captivity, the people of Israel needed encouragement. The prophet Zephaniah reminded them of God’s presence in their midst, His power to save, and the fact that He rejoiced in His love for them, a joy that was expressed in song!
“The Lord your God in your midst,
The Mighty One, will save;
He will rejoice over you with gladness,
He will quiet you with His love,
He will rejoice over you with singing.” (Zephaniah 3:17)
Memoir, biography, and cautionary tale, Girl in the Song by Chrissy Cymbala Toledo encourages readers to be the girl in God’s song, bringing joy to His heart. Daughter of Jim and Carol Cymbala of the New York’s Brooklyn Tabernacle, Chrissy’s life journey began in a loving home surrounded by a vibrant community of believers. However, by the time Chrissy entered her teen years, she ached to be written into all the wrong songs, was finding her significance in all the wrong measurements, and was giving her heart to a relationship that would lead to darkness and disaster. Obsessed with her appearance, Chrissy was a slave to the voice of her mirror’s daily message: “Not good enough.” The patterns of deception that fed her destructive behaviors eventually alienated her from her family and led to a humiliating existence of poverty, instability, and deep misery. Tough love and the power of prayer opened Chrissy’s eyes to her own desperate situation. God, in His faithfulness, demonstrated His unfailing love and forgiveness.
Parents of prodigals will find hope in the Cymbala family’s journey, but, more important, young women who see their own harmful patterns reflected back to them in Chrissy’s story may recognize and repudiate the lies that hold them captive: that their happiness depends upon becoming someone’s fantasy-woman; that they can achieve perfection in their appearance; that their wardrobe and possessions define them and give them value.
When love for God became Chrissy’s powerful heartbeat, her music became a road back to rejoicing. Her story is proof that even those who lose their way can find freedom and can rediscover the love of God who cherishes them, who accepts them, who rejoices over them with singing.
This book was provided by Tyndale in exchange for my review. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255 : “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”
During their years of captivity, the people of Israel needed encouragement. The prophet Zephaniah reminded them of God’s presence in their midst, His power to save, and the fact that He rejoiced in His love for them, a joy that was expressed in song!
“The Lord your God in your midst,
The Mighty One, will save;
He will rejoice over you with gladness,
He will quiet you with His love,
He will rejoice over you with singing.” (Zephaniah 3:17)
Memoir, biography, and cautionary tale, Girl in the Song by Chrissy Cymbala Toledo encourages readers to be the girl in God’s song, bringing joy to His heart. Daughter of Jim and Carol Cymbala of the New York’s Brooklyn Tabernacle, Chrissy’s life journey began in a loving home surrounded by a vibrant community of believers. However, by the time Chrissy entered her teen years, she ached to be written into all the wrong songs, was finding her significance in all the wrong measurements, and was giving her heart to a relationship that would lead to darkness and disaster. Obsessed with her appearance, Chrissy was a slave to the voice of her mirror’s daily message: “Not good enough.” The patterns of deception that fed her destructive behaviors eventually alienated her from her family and led to a humiliating existence of poverty, instability, and deep misery. Tough love and the power of prayer opened Chrissy’s eyes to her own desperate situation. God, in His faithfulness, demonstrated His unfailing love and forgiveness.
Parents of prodigals will find hope in the Cymbala family’s journey, but, more important, young women who see their own harmful patterns reflected back to them in Chrissy’s story may recognize and repudiate the lies that hold them captive: that their happiness depends upon becoming someone’s fantasy-woman; that they can achieve perfection in their appearance; that their wardrobe and possessions define them and give them value.
When love for God became Chrissy’s powerful heartbeat, her music became a road back to rejoicing. Her story is proof that even those who lose their way can find freedom and can rediscover the love of God who cherishes them, who accepts them, who rejoices over them with singing.
This book was provided by Tyndale in exchange for my review. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255 : “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”
August 19, 2015
As the daughter of the pastor of a church that started out in the rough and tumble area of Brooklyn to a well known church, Chrissy grew up seeing how much the streets could effect others. She had the life alot of kids would have loved to have,parents who loved her and friends that adored her. But as time passed she grew to crave the one thing she could not get enough of and that was the attention of others. It started out with just wanting to look beautiful in everyone's eyes, clothing and her makeup became an obsession for her. One day while she was hanging with a group of her friends, two new guys walked in to the church. Her interest turned to these new guys, as time passed she was drawn more and more toward the one guy. The more time Chrissy spent with Jay, her obsession grew with having the attention he gave her. During their time together Jay introduced her to new music that seemed to speak to her. These songs spoke of the one thing she yearned for Perfection. To achieve what she was craving, Chrissy chose to deceive those who loved her the most. Secret after Secret piled her down till one day she could not keep up with all of her lies. The truth came out taking Chrissy down the same path that she say others take when she was growing as little girl. Thinking she had nowhere to turn she chose to stay in the deception she had created till one day she was able to see the light of hope.
This a beautiful story of how deceiving things can be that can pull us down in our lives and that there is a hope out there in Jesus Christ.
This a beautiful story of how deceiving things can be that can pull us down in our lives and that there is a hope out there in Jesus Christ.
Displaying 1 - 11 of 11 reviews