The events of Traitor span the years of Benedict Arnold's life, 1741-1801, centering on the 1760s, 1770s, and 1780s. Fritz begins with Arnold's early life in Norwich, Connecticut, and traces his career as a soldier in New England and Pennsylvania. Her account of Arnold's campaign north through New York to Canada in an ill-fated attempt to capture the British-held city of Quebec provides vivid descriptions of both the foreboding surroundings and the hardships of the soldiers who accompanied Arnold on the expedition.