the family discussed the issue for months , complaining about the redhead 's lack of wisdom , making assumptions about the connections between the fire colored hair and the ludicrous life plans , and only relented when they found out that the mission included quite a number of eligible young men , recipients of doctoral degrees , physicians , engineers , physicists , biopharmaceutical experts , all single and confined to a limited choice of potential brides , far away from home for years and years .